Hotel Ibis Styles di Friedrichshafen

This hotel is situated on the outskirts of the city centre, across the road from the Caserne entertainment venue, as well as the university. It’s a relatively quiet area, with some on-street parking outside but with a secure underground garage (cost 15€ per night) with direct lift access to the reception and upper floors. The hotel has only been open 9 months and you very much get the feeling that it’s fresh and new. The decor is industrial-modern but with some flair. The main reception / lobby area also functions as a lounge-bar at night and breakfast room. There’s a variety of seating options and it was a comfortable place to spend some time, have a drink or something to eat. I was staying at the hotel with colleagues and our rooms seemed identical. The dark decor theme is a bit different - the corridors are particularly poorly-lit - but the rooms are spacious, with a beautifully-comfortable bed, sofa, desk, flatscreen TV, air-con/heating and safe. There’s not a huge amount of space to hang or store clothes, with only a modest, open-wardrobe area as you go into the room and there are no drawers, only a few shelves. If you were a couple, staying there for more than a few days, this might prove inadequate, but for me, for one night, it was fine. One thing to note: there were absolutely no ‘extras’ in the room or bathroom, ie. coffee/tea-making facilities, minibar/fridge, reading material, tissues, toiletries, etc. The bathroom is super: underfloor heating (which is adjustable), a large, halo-lit mirror, hairdryer and fantastic shower, as well as window with natural light. However, there are only two soap dispensers in there, one in the shower and one next to the sink. So don’t forget to bring all your own toiletries! The breakfast was good. It cost 15€ extra but there was a nice selection, with fruit, yogurt, cereals, cheeses, ham, jams, various breads and pastries, as well as boiled and scrambled eggs and sausages, for those who like something hot. There was a machine for coffees and the quality of the cappuccino was unexpectedly good. The staff were all friendly and efficient. We needed taxis to get to an event at the harbour and these were ordered for us with no fuss. The five-ten minute drive into town cost around 15€. Check-in and check-out was quick and easy. The wifi connection was excellent. All in all, a really pleasant and comfortable stay.