Hotel MARITIM di Darmstadt

Ok, I was sent here by Cathay Pacific after one of their planes failed, so the review is tainted by seven hours at Frankfurt Airport, ( which is incidentally rated 3/10 by Skytrax). The hotel is dated, and of a quite austere design. They didn’t have my booking which was probably more Cathay’s fault than theirs. Checkin staff ranged from naive to rude. The room is large with a good sized balcony facing a major intersection. Go high to avoid road noise. Room amenities are sparse and it has an 80’s/90’s feel, in dark wood and green furnishings. Two smallish singles adorned the room, and an inbuilt radio adorned the headboard à la 70’s. There is a chair and small table. The bathroom didn’t have a bath and the plug in the sink didn’t work. I called for it to be fixed. The guy spent 20 seconds and declared it fixed. It wasn’t, of course, so I did it myself, although I am not a big fan of putting my fingers in hotel drains... Amenities are two fixed soap containers and two small bottle of body lotion. There is a hairdryer and a magnifying mirror as well as the usual behind sink one. The bathroom is well lit. There is a complimentary 750ml bottle of water and an empty minibar. The main restaurant is bright and lacking in any atmosphere. The breakfast area is slightly more welcoming. The buffet I tried was sparse but was probably contracted on a budget by cathays agents. International plug adapters are available, which isn’t always the case. There is no iron or ironing board in the room…although there is an ironing room on the third floor. Novel. The bar is the best bit. Classically styled and comfortable in an “old money” style.