Hotel Elephant Weimar, Autograph Collection

BACKGROUND:

The stay took place as part of a tour of Germany. The Elephant Hotel in Weimar was one of the "better" and "more expensive" hotels on the trip. Accordingly, the expectations were high.

We are Marriott bonvoy members. Unfortunately, we had bad experiences at other hotels in the group on the trip in terms of recognition as a status guest. We would have also very much liked to upgrade to Suites, which unfortunately is not possible at this hotel. Therefore, we contacted the hotel a few days before our arrival and informed them about this issue. We were answered that they would note an upgrade to a Junior Suite AFTER AVAILABILITY.

THE LOCATION:
The house is centrally located on the market square. It probably doesn't get any better than that.

THE HOTEL:
We had imagined the hotel to be much smaller. What looks so cute from the street stretches far back into many hallways and rooms.

The house is nicely renovated. However, the spark could not jump with us. There is something about the hotel that we didn't like. But we can't say what. Maybe the lighting? We found this to be consistently poor and not well done. More on that in a moment.

THE STAFF:
The staff was friendly. Period. There is nothing more to say. Neither shined nor is there anything negative to report.

THE GYM AND SAUNA:
Are both a joke! The gym consists of two small rooms with low ceilings and less than a handful of machines. We could not look at the sauna, it was closed. For a hotel with this claim absolutely not sufficient!

BREAKFAST:
The presentation is a bit disjointed, this is due to the space. There is a good selection, although it is not outstanding. Unfortunately, the buffet is replenished very hesitantly. What good are X types of milk when almost all the bottles are empty? Egg dishes can be ordered from a card at the table. At first, one wonders why the Egg Benedict costs 7 euros extra? All ingredients are available separately, only in a different form also at the buffet, or also in the menu. Or is the Hollandaise sauce mixed with gold dust?

The service at breakfast was simply bad. Or let's call it "selectively friendly". Example: guests at the neighboring table (only 1 meter away from us) arrived at the same time. After a few moments, an employee came and asked if coffee was desired. A few moments later, another one with the same question. Nobody asked us the whole time. So it is a matter of luck whether you can order an egg dish or not. It's also not very nice to sit next to a dirty table from which the guests got up a quarter of an hour ago. All of this is rather reminiscent of a low budget hotel.

THE ROOM:
Of course, nothing came of our upgrade to a junior suite. Instead, we were upgraded to a Deluxe room on the top floor with a slope and a view of the parking lot. It is clear to us that one has no right to an upgrade, certainly not to a junior suite. But then you should not as a hotel a few days before the stay, so when a trend of hotel occupancy is already apparent, explicitly hold out the prospect of one! Unfortunately, this was also not addressed with a word at check-in.

There was a "nice" 0815 letter from the GM in the room. As in almost every hotel nowadays. Nothing else. Honestly, and this only between the GM and us as a small tip: We would have been very happy about a small "Sorry, did not work out" on the room. So we were always brooding, in our garret.

The room was otherwise clean and in good condition. The furnishings were, let's call it, unmotivated. Closets like you would find in a low budget hotel. A bed that was very comfortable. A desk with a chair, an armchair and a lamp. On top of that, an (empty) minibar and a coffee maker that we couldn't get to work and don't know how it should have been used to make the tea bags that were ready.

And: the lighting in the room was absolutely insufficient. Even if you turned up all the lights, it was still too dark in the evening. Sit around the armchair and read? Not possible, no light! At the desk? No light! And also only one bedside lamp on the double bed.

The most unfriendly two women on reception I've ever encountered at a hotel, and I spent a year backpacking in hostels.