Star Inn, Linz, Austria – review written 14 December 2017

Having stayed in Linz before, I kind of knew my way around town, but when I arrived off the train from Vienna, having flown in from London Heathrow, I decided that I was too tired to haul my suitcase along the dark, cold streets, so I took a cab instead and soon found myself at the Star Inn.

The view from room 307, Star Inn, Linz, Austria...

The last time I was in Linz, back in October 2016, I stayed at the Austria Trend Schiller Park, which is about a 15-minute walk from the Star Inn. The trip was so rushed that I never had time to think about the Schiller Park, let alone write about it. Or rather I don't recall writing about it, I'll have to check.

The Star Inn is bright and spacious from the word go. The reception area is neat and tidy, there is black leatherette seating against the walls opposite the front desk and these extend into a lounging area where guests can enjoy a glass of wine or a soft drink, there's even a coffee machine. Opposite this area are the elevators, which are activated by using one's key card, something I wasn't told. I spent a fair bit of time in one lift going nowhere, which proved a little embarrassing until somebody pointed it out to me and I was on my merry way to room 307 on the third floor.

The room was fairly pleasant. A perfectly respectable bathroom on the right and then the room opened out to accommodate a large double bed. There was an LG flatscreen television opposite the bed (no English channels) and a desk at the far end of the room beyond the bed and under the window.

Room 307, Star Inn, Linz, Austria...

A distinct wood theme prevailed: a wooden door, wooden wall panels and a large wooden headboard behind the bed.

One thing that annoyed me was the lighting. It's not normally something that bothers me, but on this occasion I had a problem. A few weeks ago – probably because I overdid the travelling – I woke up one morning feeling very dizzy. I panicked and went and got it checked out by the doctor. It's called BPPV – vertigo for short – and it wasn't too pleasant. At night I went to sleep with three pillows instead of two and to cut a long story short, going to bed was something I left until the very last minute. I wanted a light on too, just for comfort. As kids we always slept with a light on and while I tend not to these days, the dizzyness worried me enough to insist on keeping the bathroom light on at night. The condition has improved considerably, I hasten to add.

Normally when I'm staying away from home, I do sleep with a light on and usually I can close the bathroom door so that just a slither of light escapes into the room, that's all I need. Usually the door is made of solid wood, but not at the Star Inn. In fact, the lighting and the room design conspired against me. The bathroom door was made of glass so it didn't shut out the light I'd left on. Furthermore, the wall mirror outside the bathroom reflected the light from within and was unavoidable when I was lying down in the bed. I considered sleeping the other way around with my back to the light, but in the end had a restless night sleeping first with no lights on and then, on day two of my stay, hanging my coat on the pegs against the wall opposite the bathroom to block the reflection of the light.

Breakfast, as we know, is the great leveller and the Star Inn offering was perfect. Every morning I made my way down to the ground floor breakfast room where I chose muesli, a bowl of fresh fruit, a raspberry yoghurt, two peppermint teas, two small croissants and a banana. It was wonderful and fairly chilled too.

There was no restaurant at the Star Inn so I had to eat out on both nights of my stay. The best place was Bigoli and you can find out why by clicking here.

The Star Inn's staircase to all floors...

The bathroom was fine, everything worked. Ultimately, the Star Inn was a pleasant place to stay, mainly because the guests were left alone to get on with whatever they were doing. The staff were pleasant, always saying 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' if they passed by and, in terms of location, the hotel was bang in the centre of town.

Just up the road from Linz is Leonding (a short tram journey away) and it's worth visiting a huge, new shopping mall that has opened there. It's amazing in terms of its sheer scale and there's also an IMAX cinema within the complex. In short, if you come to Linz as a shopper you're in for a treat and you can amplify the experience by visiting the mall.

Linz was a lovely town – especially at this time of year – with streets illuminated after dark by exquisite shop window displays and Christmas lights.