Dusseldorf

Hotel Domo
Scheurenstr. 4
40215-Dusseldorf
Phone: +49 211 384453-0
Email: domo@nk-hotels.de
Web: www.nk-hotels.de
Stayed there: October 7th 2008
Rates: We paid €50 for a “double” en suite which had four beds in it!

Melanie booked this one for us as I had a late arrival in Dusseldorf and she didn’t fancy driving back to Bielefeld when there were better things to do. That is, drink lots of Alt and shots.
The hotel’s less than five minute’s walk from the main train station and right near the red light district (as is the hostel I use in Frankfurt). Parking at front can be organised but costs around €8 per night. If you’re driving, use one of the streets nearby and if you arrive in the evening it’ll only cost €1 or so to park until late the next morning.
The hotel is on the fifth floor of a building which is otherwise private apartments. The room was clean, cable TV was provided as were towels and shower creme. Our look wouldn’t stop filling with water until we took the top off and twisted the little tap inside. Nothing major – no leaks or anything – but it made you want to pee all the time! The shower was hot and powerful, and sat over a tub so you could have a bath if you preferred.
Everything was clean and tidy and a full room service is done each morning. According to the web page, breakfast is included but we didn’t realise this. In fairness, we were pretty hung over the next morning anyway and I think we were too late to get food!
There is free wi-fi throughout as well, although the signal seems to be centred on the reception and stairwell. I couldn’t get a signal in our room which was about as far from the source as possible. Still, it’s unusual for a hotel to offer free internet so sitting in the corridor is no real issue for me.
For the price, not bad given the location and facilities.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt Hostel
Kaiserstrasse 74
Frankfurt Hessen 60329
Germany
Phone: 0049 69 24 75 13 0
Web: frankfurt-hostel.com
Stayed there: 25th June 2007 and 24-26th June 2008
Rates: From 18 Euros for a dorm bed, including breakfast

Great place, great location, great staff. What they don’t tell you on the web page is that it’s located right above World of Sex, one of several adult stores in the area. This isn’t a criticism, but a very easy to spot landmark to find it! The shop front is large enough and well lit at night. See this, and go in the large old-fashioned heavy wood door to the left.
The shower in the room was nice and hot and powerful, in a clean tiled bathroom. My only quibble is that the dorm slept 10 people and there was only the one bathroom though I was up early enough that there was no queueing.
The breakfast is acceptable enough with fruit juice, tea, coffee, cereals and the like. Wifi is freely available in the reception/bar area, and there’s an EasyInternet cafe in the room next door which also houses the large lockers (2 EUROS per day, 5 EURO returnable key deposit). Lockers are available in the rooms as well, if you supply your own padlock.
A free city tour is done every day as long as 5 or more people sign up for it, and it’s worth the wander. Back at the hostel, five beers are sold at the bar at reasonable prices, as well as hot drinks.
Staff were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and polite. The only problem I had was that there was usually just the one person on at a time so a long wait was often a result as they dealt with several people.
Definitely recommended.

UPDATE based on my more recent stay:

I was in a non en-suite dorm this time (€18 – en suite is only €2 more). Again, had little problem with the bathrooms although there are only 2 per floor. I did wake up one morning really needing the loo and had to walk down to the 3rd floor to get a toilet.

The city tours seem to now only be on Saturdays. However, they do seem to organise other things pretty much on a whim. I’m assuming because Euro 2008 was on, a game of football was planned in a nearby park on my first day there. Free drinking water was given, underground tickets for the short journey paid for and a crate of beer supplied (about 2 bottles each) on our return!

As I type this I also notice a sign advertising “eat all you can spaghetti, Saturday 19:00”.

My only real complaint is that smoking now seems to be allowed in the reception/communal area despite all the “no smoking” sounds. The windows are permanently open but I was there during really hot weather. This situation may be different in winter.

Despite the last comment, still very much recommended.

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