Oddly I’ve stayed in this hotel four times now and this is
the first time I’ve put pen to paper in the shape of a review. In many ways I’m
glad of this because there is now no excuse to provide a shoddy review based on
the fact that I’ve returned time after time and have enjoyed the cosy
predictability of the place.
The first good thing about the Leonardo is it’s location. In
fact that great thing about Dusseldorf is the closeness of the airport to the
centre of town and then, in turn, the great thing about the Leonardo is its
closeness to the central railway station, Dusseldorf Hbf, which is literally a
five-minute away.
Imagine, therefore, my relief when, having suffered from
food poisoning while in the Netherlands, I knew that once I jumped off the
train at Dusseldorf I would be tucked up in bed in my hotel within minutes.
The check-in was easy and very friendly. The woman on the
front desk even recognised me as a past guest and not only welcomed me back but
offered me free WiFi instead of the usual payment. I gladly accepted the offer.
As for the rooms, they’re always good and this time was no
exception. I was staying in Room 501, which had a comfortable bed, a decent
television, a spotless and spacious bathroom and plenty of space.
On past visits I’ve always been a little disappointed with
the food offering in the evening, but even that had been improved: there was
greater choice on the wine list than before and the food seemed to have gone up
a notch in terms of quality.
Don’t get me wrong; the food had always been of an
acceptable standard but perhaps a little run-of-the-mill. Having said that it’s
food you can rely upon, it’s not overly fussy and it does the job, it fills a
void. However, on this visit, my third or fourth I can’t remember, it seemed a
little better, but I admit that I looked into the restaurant from the lobby,
noticed just one other guest sitting there and thought I’d try my luck outside.
Having gone all of 50 yards down the road, I turned back. It was far too cold to
go searching for restaurants so I headed back to the Leonardo, ordered the
mushroom soup followed by a lamb curry, a small carafe of Cabernet, a mineral
water and a shot of Killepitsch, a Schnapps-like drink made from herbs and only
available in Dusseldorf, nowhere else in Germany. It had the consistency of
cough mixture, was very warming but also very strong (42% abv) and clearly a
beverage for the heavy drinker, normally accompanied by a pint of beer.
I’ll be returning to the Leonardo again of that I can assure
you. Why? Because it’s friendly, homely, comfortable, the staff are polite, the
vibe is good and I love it. Furthermore, I heartily recommend it to Trip
Advisor readers looking for a decent safe bet which is well-located virtually
next door to the central railway station.
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