Hotel Wedina Review - Hamburg’s Literary Hotel
(Ad - I was provided with a press discount in return for an honest review, however, all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links which means that I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)
When I planned to sail on Cunard’s newest cruise ship, Queen Anne, during her first voyage into Hamburg, I was delighted to discover that the city has its very own literary hotel.
Based in the St Georg district of central Hamburg, the Hotel Wedina itself is very easy to find with its striking red exterior. We arrived after a short drive from the cruise port, which we booked on Uber, and were greeted by their friendly reception staff in their flawless English.
Our room was located a two minute walk down the road from the main building, and we found it to be very clean and spacious. Simply decorated, we had access to a small garden via patio doors, as well as an en suite bathroom and double bed. There was lots of storage and I was delighted to find a little reading nook at the far end of the bedroom. The television above the desk also swings out towards the bed for easy viewing, and we were able to find an English news channel to use as comforting background noise.
We found it very funny that the double beds are provided with two separate duvets, which isn’t really a thing in the UK. The duvets we had were very thin which was hugely appreciated due to the warm summer evenings, and they actually have a variety of pillows and comforters to choose from that are available on request from the reception staff.
The bathroom felt slightly old fashioned, but it was very clean and came with a bath which my partner loved.
Naturally, one of the hotel’s most unique features is its fantastic library. While some hotels have enormous libraries for the purpose of creating a certain aesthetic, the Hotel Wedina’s library is different. The majority the of their books have been left by authors who have stayed at the hotel, totalling more than 300 titles. Most of the books are in German, but for those who speak the language, you are able to check out a book and take it up to your room after speaking with the reception staff.
I adored this library, which was both functional and beautiful, and furnished with a few comfy chairs. As the library itself is located close to the main entrance, it’s one of the very first things you see and really sets the tone for a cosy reading trip. There’s even a little painting and reading corner for children, who sleep for free in their parents’ room.
Walking past the library you’ll find the hotel’s bar and restaurant, ZeitBar. This is where breakfast is served in the morning for an additional fee, with an additional breakfast room that opens up each morning. Guests are able to choose from a self serve selection of loose leaf teas, which is lovely, and the food includes both continental and cooked options.
During the afternoon and evening this space serves drinks and small plates, and we enjoyed a delicious snack here after arriving on our first day. It was lovely to see lots of people relaxing in this area of the hotel, often with a book or an e-reader in hand, and felt like we were surrounded by kindred spirits.
The hotel also has its own garden available to use when the weather allows - unfortunately it rained a lot during our trip but it looks like a lovely place to relax with a cool drink in the sunshine.
Don’t be worried if you’re visiting from abroad, like us, and are unable to speak German. We had exceptional service from every member of the team who were friendly, eager to help, and able to switch seamlessly between German and English.
Pricing
One of the things that I really like about the Hotel Wedina is that it’s a lovely hotel that is very affordable to stay at. There are three categories of room: budget, hotel and apartment, meaning that there’s something to suit all budgets.
The smallest ‘shoebox’ single budget room starts at just €70 per night and the cheapest double starts at €118. Our superior double room with a garden view is priced at €190 per night, which felt very fair and good value, although we were also very kindly given an additional press discount.
Breakfast costs an additional €19.50 per day and we found the small plates and drinks to be reasonably priced.
Getting here:
We arrived at the hotel via an Uber from the cruise terminal but the area is very well connected with a variety of local buses.
You can book your own stay at Hotel Wedina here.
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