We’re staying in the fourth city in the last four days. It’s my second visit to Stuttgart, the first since 2012. Despite being the 6th largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has very few accommodation options close to the city centre. I managed to find a few possibilities — mostly boutique hotels in the area but in the end, I chose to stay at a reliable international chain instead. The decision was mainly about its underground parking, something any boutique hotel couldn’t have offered. And with heavy construction going on in the area, that’s an important factor to consider.
We arrived in Stuttgart from Ulm by car in the late afternoon and immediately noticed the ongoing construction of the "Stuttgart 21 central railway station" project, which I heard has been going on for years. Luckily, we didn’t have to search for parking.
Le Méridien Stuttgart was pretty empty when we arrived, so the check-in process didn’t take very long.
Most of the rooms here are the same size (30 sq. metres), but our superior room looked a little smaller than what they indicated.
Especially with the designer chair, coffee table and desk, there was no room for our luggage and the walking space to the window.
The building that houses Le Méridien Stuttgart was first built in 1988 and later underwent a couple of major renovations after it was rebranded from an InterContinental hotel to a Le Méridien. Nevertheless, its age is starting to show — particularly in the finishes on the walls, among other things.
The bathroom in particular looked as if it had missed the recent renovation (2016). It’s the first part of the room that’s due for a major facelift.
The hotel itself is within walking distance of some of the major attractions in the city, but with multiple major construction sites around, getting there was a nightmare. Instead of a straight line walk, we had to navigate around construction, past Schlossgarten park, and over connecting stairs and footbridges while also avoiding bikers.
The only thing worth reporting was the breakfast buffet, which was outstanding.
They offer a really good mix of hot and cold dishes, including an egg station where scrambled eggs were prepared to order.
This wasn’t an ideal stay. When I asked my team members to identify their least satisfactory accommodation of this trip, not surprisingly, Le Méridien Stuttgart ranked near the top of everyone’s list. The numbers don’t lie.
P.S. The “Not bad” rating also takes into account the overall experience, including service from the front desk, location, facilities, parking, and breakfast so they kind of counterbalance the negatives.
Rating: ❤❤❤
Price: €€€€
Address: Willy-Brandt-Straße 30, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Tel: +49 711 22210
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