Novotel Freiburg am Konzerthaus

The Novotel Freiburg am Konzerthaus sits right across the street from the main station, and from the outside it looks very fancy and fairly new. Inside, it is a different story: the hotel has aged, and I got 90s vibes from the lobby bar with its pink lighting to the football on the TV. It is very clean, the corner room was big, and the desk is excellent for working. It is a very convenient base for Freiburg and for Europa-Park.

Quick verdict: A very clean hotel with a perfect location next to the main station, a big corner room with a large desk, fast Wi-Fi and a walk-in closet, a sweet welcome and a free minibar. The style is dated, the room layout is odd, the shower is old-fashioned and narrow, and it feels more like a Mercure than a Novotel. JCI Score 3.0 out of 5.

Location

The hotel is practically next to the main station. You just cross the street, so it is super easy to reach, and I can recommend it for that alone.

From Freiburg station you also get to Europa-Park in Rust very easily, and that was, to be honest, the reason for my trip. I took the bus there. In the other direction you reach the city centre quickly, and you can walk there. There are great restaurants in the area, so everything you need is close. Freiburg is a very liveable city, and it is really pleasant to find your way around.

Getting There & First Impression

From the outside I thought the hotel was super fancy and quite new, with its sandstone-coloured facade right at the concert hall. It is not, really. Inside you notice that it has aged. It gave me 90s vibes, starting with the lobby bar with its pink lighting, and there was football on the TV when I came in. It is all very 90s style, very clean, but somehow out of time and no longer really modern. I think it would have fit a Mercure better than a Novotel.

Check-In & Loyalty Experience

Check-in was uneventful. We had a corner room on the 5th floor. It was extra large, and I think it was an upgrade: at least this corner room seems to be one that we got on top.

As a welcome there were small petit fours in the room. They were super sweet, and they were tasty, too.

The Room

My room was on the 5th floor. The corridor is not really up to date any more, and the whole hotel has aged. The layout is very strange, with long ways to walk, and even though the corner room is very big, it is somehow impractical, because it is cut so oddly.

There was a big bed and, most of all, a large, proper desk with an armchair in front of it. For working it is top: the Wi-Fi was fast, and the desk was ideal. There was also plenty of space for the suitcase, with a small storage room or walk-in closet as a wardrobe. The TV looks old and was very small. Altogether, nothing about it is really comfortable.

The minibar was included. In my photo there is a beer, a Coke, an orange juice and two small bottles of water. There was also a coffee machine with capsules in the room.

The shower had water coming out, but it was a bit old-fashioned and narrow, and I would only give it a 2. The amenities in the bathroom were good, Novotel standard, and there was a bathrobe on the bed.

Food & Drink

We did not have breakfast. I only saw the lobby bar, with its pink lighting.

Digital Customer Experience

Nothing digital to report.

The Bill & Value

Two nights cost €323.19 (about $375) in total, which is about €162 (about $188) a night. I earned 1,329 Reward points and 755 Status points. For a big corner room next to the main station with a free minibar, that is fair. You can check current rates and availability on the official Accor page for the Novotel Freiburg am Konzerthaus.