Friday 27 January 2012
Crowne Plaza, Wiesbaden, Germany
A keenly-priced, business hotel near the centre of this historic German city, the Crowne Plaza Wiesbaden is a comfortable, but rather soulless, place to stay. The lobby and bar are sleek, but empty and feel like they belong in an airport, as does the bureaucratic checking-in process. Upstairs, the rooms are quiet, but cramped, especially if you need to use the ironing board. The views from the windows aren't anything to write home about and the decor is ultra-modern and too clinical, while the striped carpet and curtains are "in your face". A day's Wi-Fi access costs an extra 12.5 euros. But the rooms are equipped with a safe and flat screen television with a 100 or so channels in many different languages. The best thing about this hotel is the buffet breakfast - you can have omelets made to order or help yourself to the appealing fried eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausages. The fruit salad is also good (although you need to pick the pips out of the grapes) and there is an impressive selection of yogurts and fruit juices. The only let down is the underwhelming coffee. The Crowne Plaza is good value. 7/10