Radisson BLU Leipzig
The Radisson Blue Leipzig is located opposite to the Opera (Gewandhaus) and close the old town of Leipzig, not far away from the main station (app. 600 m), which I would describe as walking distance. There is also a tram stop in front of the hotel and it goes directly to the main station and also to the fair grounds. The later one could also be reached by train from the main station. Both ways need around 20 minutes and it is 35 minutes from the hotel to the airport.
The hotel is a modern designed building with 6 floors and 214 rooms and suites of different size and shape. The room categories are Superior with 30 square meters, business class with 35 square meters, deluxe with 45 square meters and Junior Suites with 50 square meters.
The lobby is quite small. Next to the entrance is the bar “Lounge” and on the opposite side the restaurant “Spagos bar and grill”. The check-in desks are close to the three elevators to the floors a few steps further down the lobby. There are only a small number of chairs available. I think this is a downside, as people waiting have to stand in the lobby and thus making it uncomfortable and it seem like always a bit of a rush.
Meeting and conference facilities are located on the ground floor in an annex building to the main hotel building and separated by glass doors from the lobby. Thus, they have a separate area and do not mix with other hotels guests and vice versa making it easier to chat during a coffee break in front of the meeting rooms.
The gym is small and located also on the ground floor. It could be reached from the lobby. There are treadmills, steppers, bikes but nothing for body training. Water and towels are provided by the hotel, but I dislike not only the small size, but also the fact that one has to pass the lobby and especially the fact that the room has no window and the entrance to the gym is next to the entrance to the meeting rooms.
The interior style and ambiance of the public area is nice, modern and using light colors.
The bar “Lounge” is also very modern and the interior is designed lounge like rather than a classic bar. There is a happy hour between 18:00 and 19:00 and again between 23:00 to 24:00 with 50% reduction on selected beverages. In my eyes the beverage menu is - compared to other hotels - a bit limited.
Breakfast is served at “Spagos bar & grill” in the morning and I would describe is as extended Continental Buffet. Available are warm dishes like scrambled eggs, Sausages Bacon, potatoes and pancakes, as well as cold dishes like a selection of different sausage and cheese, salmon and herrings, olives and cucumbers. Jam and Marmalade were also available and quark, yoghurt and Müsli, rolls, bread, toast and pastries an in addition a selection of fresh fruit. Coffee was brought in cans to tables, while loose tea was available for self service.
Stays: May 04 ,2009 - May 17, 2010
direct link to hotel: Radisson Blu Leipzig
Arrival Date: May 04th, 2009
Departure Date: May 06th, 2009
Room type booked: Superior (got Deluxe)
Rate Plan: Convention Rate including Buffet Breakfast
Room Number: 405
Room Rate: 82.50 EUR
Status of Guest Program: Silver
I arrived at the hotel around 21:20 with two colleagues. I waited until my colleagues were checked in. I had booked a special rate for the convention I was attending and also mentioned my Radisson Goldpoints number. However nothing was prefilled on the receipt and so I had to fill in my address and also provide my personal data. This was a little bit annoying as from my point of view it does not make any sense to provide the data from the frequent guest program if the hotel makes no use it. In the case, the booking was prepared by another department within in the hotel due to the special rate, it would have been possible to use the data, especially as we had to submit all personal in the time we booked the rooms. Certainly only a minor detail, but they make the difference.
Beside this little annoyance staff was friendly and I was addressed by name. The key to my room was programmed and I was explained how to reach my room. I had to ask for the time breakfast was served in the morning and also for location and opening hours of the gym.
My room was very spacious and I had received an upgrade to a deluxe room, which was a nice surprise but not mentioned at check in. The hotel was fully booked and I assume it was due to our late check in that I and one of my colleagues received a better room than then the one booked.
The room had a small hallway after entering the rooms. It leads to the bathroom and the room. The bathroom had not door and was open to the hallway, the toilet however was separated by a sliding door. It was nice to have floor heating in the bathroom (this part of the room had tiles while the room itself features a carpet). The bathroom had a sink and a bath. A glass panel was used instead of a shower curtain and as usual it was way too short. Therefore on could not avoid that water was dripping on the floor while taking a shower. The shower head was okay but like the adjusting system of very low quality and it was a difficult to adjust it in height I also feared that it would fall apart. If one puts aside this minor detail, the bathroom was modern with light brown tiles and wooden applications. In so far the low quality did not quite match the otherwise nice design using not cheap materials.
The room was divided into two parts. On the left side was a sofa, lounge chair and a small sideboard with two lamps and a Nespresso machine. A lamp provided additional light. The desk was placed in front of the large floor to ceiling window and featured a LAN connection, plugs, lamp and phone. The desk chair was okay but could not adjusted in height and therefore was not in the best position for taller persons. LAN was free with lower up and download speed (DSL). If one needed higher internet speed, e.g. for VPS or video conferencing, than one had to pay 5.00 EUR for one hour or 12.00 EUR for 24 hours of high speed internet.
A sideboard was place in the room and divided the room into two parts. The living area was on the left side and the sleeping area on the right side. In between was the sideboard with a flat TV, which could be turned either to the bed or the living area of the room. On the wall facing the bathroom was the built in closet with safe. The safe had a plug and was big enough to store a laptop. The minibar was also located at this part of the room.
The king bed had two bedside tables with reading lamps. The mattress was very comfortable and so I could enjoy a good night sleep. On one of the night tables was a BOSE Wave radio. The remote control was available at the front desk. The first one was not working but the second one.
The design of the room was modern and mixing dark furniture with bright light brown walls and sofa and lounge chairs. The furniture was in very good shape and there were barely any scratches and stains. Only the wall had some scratches, mostly in the area were the luggage would be placed and close to the entrance.
The breakfast was served in the restaurant as buffet. Due to the hotel being fully booked the restaurant was pretty full as well. Staff has difficulties to clear used dishes and also to restock the buffet. I think the restaurant was understaffed, two persons were definitively not sufficient to grant a good and attentive service. And this was also causing that their stress level was reached and therefore they were not very friendly anymore. The Quality of the offerings was okay, only the salmon might be cut a bit thinner.
Check out in the morning was okay. I had to queue for check out. The folio was correct and I was asked if I enjoyed the stay and everything was okay.
After a long time a stay not in one of my favorite chains and without status in the frequent guest program. It was a pleasant stay in a modern hotel in a good location close to the city centre of Leipzig and only a few meter to the pedestrian zone and less than a kilometer to Auerbach’s Keller and the town hall. The design of the rooms is nice and in good shape with only minor details like shower head. One benefit is the free internet. One the downside is the understaffed restaurant. If one is looking for a hotel close to main station and toe heart of Leipzig, this is the right place to stay.
Arrival Date: May 17th, 2010
Departure Date: May 19th, 2010
Room type booked: Superior
Rate Plan: Convention Rate including Buffet Breakfast
Room Number: 320
Room Rate: 83.00 EUR
Status of Guest Program: Base
This time I arrived earlier at the hotel. Check in was busy and I had to wait a few minutes before it was my turn. Again I had two fill a few things in the receipt, but more data were prefilled than the last stay. I was not welcomed as a returning guest.
No explanation was made regarding the location of gym and the times breakfast was served.
This time I got the room I had booked. Like the deluxe I got the year before, the bathroom is open to the room and uses a lot of glass. The toilet is separated by a sliding door and the shower is open to the hallway, no bath this time. The interior style of this room was the same than the one of the junior suite.
The room was smaller, but the style was also the same like in the junior suite, bright colors and very airy. My room was facing the “Gewandhaus”, which was a nice view and probably better than this of the junior suite. The size of the room was okay, a desk was available and it was big enough to really work on it using a laptop and papers.
No Bose radio this time and no Nespresso machine.
If it comes to the breakfast, there was not much difference to my earlier stay. Again it was busy and again the restaurant was understaffed. The choices were the same, at least no cut backs in term of offerings.
