Review Hampton Inn Hamburg, if you are looking for a Hilton, in the city, this is the only option

It may sound strange, but in a major city like Hamburg there is not much choice of Hilton hotels. At moemnto this Hampton Inn is the only option for those who want to accumulate (or spend) Hilton Honors points and should soon be joined by a Conrad from the imminent opening, at least according to what it says on the app.

Reservation

As usual and as I explained in the "for dummies" guide to the Hilton Honor programs, you book from app or other official channel, and possibly try to maximize promotions to accumulate handfuls of extra points.

In this case I knew I would arrive in the evening and check out early in the morning, so zero demands, also because in a Hampton Inn you can't hope for many comforts. Of course 133€ is not cheap, but hotels in Germany are (almost) never cheap and I MUST renew Hilton status.

Location

The Hampton Inn Hamburg City Centre is located in the Hammerbrook district, a rapidly developing area located east of Hamburg's historic city center. Once an industrial and commercial area, it is experiencing a real urban transformation.

Well connected to the central station and served by efficient public transportation, the neighborhood is perfect for those looking for a functional and quiet foothold away from the tourist hustle and bustle but within minutes of major city attractions such as Speicherstadt, HafenCity, and City Hall.

The presence of canals and pedestrian paths along the water gives it a special atmosphere, somewhere between post-industrial and contemporary.

Check-in

As mentioned I arrived around 11 p.m. and the sliding door of the hotel was closed, not a good start. After a quick dialogue via intercom I entered and asked the attendant, "Is it so dangerous that you lock yourself in?" and he seraphically replied, "It's for my safety." Good, but not great.

First time I have found, in a Hilton, the Moxy style reception desk: that is, encased in the bar counter. Aseptic check-in procedures, no warm welcome for a Diamond member and the only oddity was wondering what time I was going to have breakfast. The reason ? to improve the organization of the kitchen.

The room

I was assigned a room on the 9th and top floor, the view was of one of the canals and many former industrial warehouses converted into offices and housing.

It is not a "modern" hotel compared to other hotels in this chain that have standard and almost cyclostyled decor, here there was a different style. In my opinion it could also be a hotel that changed its sign and became Hampton Inn after it opened.

Standard room, but large. Queen bed, no topper, but blanket not German style. If you don't know what I mean read this review. Desk to work at, chair to relax in and big screen TV. Besides that also kettle to make your own herbal tea.

The bathroom is also in the standard, nothing new and no disposable plastic.

The structure

Other than parking spaces in the basement, a meeting room, and a space to wait for friends and print museum tickets, it does not offer much.

Also interesting are the side initiatives such as free tours or afternoon group run.

There is also a small gymnasium on the second floor, but I didn't make time to visit it.

Breakfast

The Hampton Inn are one of the Hilton insignia that honors the breakfast to all guests, and I must say that the offer to be free was varied.

The breakfast room on the ground floor is quite large, but it is obvious that if they all come down at the same time they go into crisis, that's why the time is asked.

Offerings ranging from sweet to savory, hot and cold. No bartender, but I didn't expect that and clean and tidy environment.

Final disaster

Little mishaps can always happen and that is what happened. I had heard in the elevator an intense noise of running water, but I couldn't imagine ending up in a shower. Not only flooded the cabin, but blocked elevators and everyone forced to do gymnastics to get to the room and vice versa.

In conclusion

I probably could have saved a few tens of euros in a hotel of another chain, but my need is also to renew my statuses, it's a kind of golden prison, you can escape, but you don't want to.

• Hilton Honors