Currently I am enjoying my vacation in Germany and used the chance to review a local hotel close to where I grew up. Ingolstadt is home of Audi, the well-known German car manufacturer. During your stay in this 4-Star hotel, it’s very likely that you run across someone from Audi, who is staying at this hotel as well or they have meetings here too from time to time.

The Mercure Hotel is located at the southern city limits of Ingolstadt in a tranquil neighborhood and you don’t get a lot of traffic noise. Mercure Hotels is a brand of Accor Hotels and is participating in the LeClub AccorHotels rewards program. From the back you have a view at fields. It’s only  4 km to Ingolstadt’s central train station. The Hans-Kuhn-Straße bus stop is immediately next to the hotel for access to bus lines 11 and 44. Parking and WiFi is free at the hotel.

From the outside the hotel looks good, but nothing special. The inside is clean and nicely decorated. You enter the hotel at level O and there are two more levels -1 and +1. Meaning there is one level below you and one above. Because the building is on a hill-side, you also have windows in the rooms located at level -1. Also the room numbering is not as you might used to. The rooms are continuously numbered from 111 to 166. Here does the first number not indicate the floor as you might think. This is a common system of numbering the rooms in Germany. The layout of the hotel is a rectangular shape with a courtyard in the center.

My reservation was made via the Qantas homepage because I had to use some miles before they expire and I used the option of points + cash. I had quite a lot of points in my Qantas account and all of them would expire if I wouldn’t use them in 2015. Since my reservation was prepaid, check-in was quick and easy. I got my hotel key, which was a white plastic card without a magnetic strip. The hotel also has an elevator located at the back corner.

I had a standard room with 2 single beds. If you book a double bedroom, the only move the two single beds together and it is not a big bed as you might think. The beds in Germany are in general smaller than in the US, but still big enough to have a comfortable sleep. The room featured a small mini bar, a desk with a coffee maker, and flat-screen TV above the desk. With the TV you also get a “Sky” package, this is a premium broadcaster in Germany. The bathroom was a little bit small but still good enough. The whole room and bed were clean and well-organized. Only downside only one power outlet above each nightstand.

In the basement or here called -1, you will find the fitness and wellness area. I was quite surprised when I saw they had a sauna, solarium and an infrared health cabin beside the relaxation area and the gym. Next to it is a shower place and across a restroom. Everything is there to workout and relax. In front of the fitness equipment was a TV mounted at the wall.

You can enter the fitness and relax area if you go right after the check-in counter and down the stairs or you use the elevator or stairs at the rear corner of the hotel. The fitness and wellness area is open from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. and the sauna from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. The schedules for the Sauna are subject to change on weekends and holidays.

The hotel also has a restaurant, called Widmann, which also serves as the breakfast area. Breakfast costs 14€ per person per night if it’s not included in the rate you booked. I loved the breakfast. Typical German-style breakfast with lots of bread, meat, and cheese. If you want an omelet, don’t hesitate to ask and they will prepare one. All the things I tried were delicious and tasted good and fresh. Service was great as well, maybe because I was the only guest having breakfast at that moment. In my opinion, the breakfast was a bit pricey but they had a great choice of breakfast items, if you eat a lot it will be worth it. The restaurant is open from noon until 2 p.m. for lunch and from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. for dinner. Room service is free of charge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Next to the passage between the check-in counter and the restaurant area was a small business center with one PC and printer. If you feel like exploring, you can rent bicycles for free at the check-in counter and they also have free umbrellas for rent.

Overall it’s a pretty good hotel and depending on your needs and plans, located in a nice and tranquil area. The room rates are not bad either for the location and a 4-star hotel. I liked the extras you get like sauna and solarium. There is a bus stop not to far from the hotel and in easy walking distance.