Mercure Hotel Berlin am Alexanderplatz, Berlin

A fairly grim hotel in a fairly desolate patch of Berlin, this branch of the Mercure chain does have the virtue of being only a five minute walk from the iconic Alexanderplatz, which hosted one of the largest demonstrations in the history of East Germany in 1989. The check-in process can be slow, cumbersome and bureaucratic. For dinner, the staff recommend a couple of local restaurants - one is a traditional Berlin outfit (Der Alte Fritz) which is okay, but can lack atmosphere - the waiters seem miserable. Still, the fried meat balls (bouletten, 13.80 euros) - served with a pile of potatoes and green beans in a decent sauce - is a pretty satisfying dish. 

Le Meridien, Munich, Germany

Slap bang in the noisy centre of Munich near the central station, Le Meridien is a convenient and comfortable business hotel. The stylish, spacious reception is kitted out with funky rounded seating and tables illuminated by the daylight flooding in through the glass wall overlooking an impressive atrium garden. Some of the receptionists are chatty and helpful, but aren't great at estimating walking distances.

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