Hotel Wernigerode Altora — Hotel in Wernigerode

We stayed at a hotel just a block and a half away, but there is certainly an appeal for rail enthusiasts to stay here, as from the restaurant or front steps you can see the steam engines being watered and readied for the day's service.|Just opposite at the traffic lights is a hotspot for photographers from as early at 7:30am. ||We went in here to see the train that delivers drinks. We got there around 5pm. |The place was empty apart from a table of 3 having food. ||However, we were told that all the tables on the outskirt were reserved and so we couldn't be seated there to have the pleasure of the drinks delivery by train. |We were only there for 1 or 2 drinks so didn't plan on staying more than half an hour. ||Yet still, after we were seated on the inside, a group of 7 walked in without reservations to do exactly the same thing (just have drinks) and they were immediately ushered to an end table. No doubt a table of 7 would take far longer than a couple to have drinks, not so?| |As a hotelier, it is always good to go the extra mile to make guests happy - whether resident or restaurant guests. You can never tell when a walk-in client can become a return patron. This team didn't live up to expectations. ||When we went back 2 days later, they were not serving just after lunch but the staff member cleaning up wouldn't even acknowledge anyone walking in the door to say we're closed or give some other appropriate advice. I can't help but wonder how much potential business they are losing from this lackadaisical...

We wanted a hotel close to the city center and got into Altora. All looked okay from the outside but turned sour quickly. First we were charged 30 euro more than what it said on the website. Then we got an old room, where it all squeks, smells and feels cheap. Its also very easy to hear things across rooms. All of this is a part of booking something unknown. But the worst part was breakfast; everything was gone even though we came in as soon as we were told to(they cant fit all so we were told to come at a certain time). Eggs were raw but we could Cook them ourself - no service with this. The Coffee was cold. No cold milk. Utensils to grab butter and meat was mixed. Scrambled eggs was rotten though, it was all grey and smelled foul. If you wanted anything to drink, you could only get 0.1L glasses. They really want to make sure you dont want to come back, and they will charge you 125+ euro for a single night of...

There are many hotels in Wernigerode. Some of those are probably better than the Hotel Altora. Some of those may have a better hotel restaurant, though we were quite happy with the dinner and breakfasts we enjoyed there. Some of those may not have fire truck sirens blaring past the hotel late at night. Some of those are air-conditioned. Almost all of them are located closer to the city center. For us, none of that mattered.||||Sitting in our rooms, with the comfy leather chairs pulled up to the wide-open windows, watching the massive 2-10-2 steam locomotives get serviced with coal, water, and ash removal, while the departing and arriving steam trains chuff past on their way into the Harz nature park, made all of that irrelevant. ||||Yes, there are probably better hotel options. But for us three railfans, there will never, NEVER be another hotel in Wernigerode with amenities to offset that...