Hotel Engelhorn, Leimen | ConcertHotels.com

Some of the best hospitality,...

Liked: This is a hard stay to explain, hence delay in writing a review about it. There were a lot of initial concerns that made the actual stay itself not great, and quite an unpleasant experience. However, the staff really went above even my expectations for kindness, that let me give a higher review because it means a lot when staff care and show they are not just a "capitalist machine." Though, probably suggest reading the dislikes first. The hotel staff however in the morning apologized profusely and asked me for suggestions how they could better notify guests of other ways available to contact even when someone isn't on duty. They showed they cared... Which given the sleep deprivation and frustration I had, went an incredibly long way. They made it clear they found the source of the smell and that it could be rectified for future guests and gave me breakfast and treated me like a Christmas family member. The manager interacted with me with respect and consideration and empathy.To that I'll say that I originally gave 2 stars even though the shower pressure was good and the bed was comfortable and the rooms were quiet (these can be acknowledged even with a negative experience), but I've updated my rating just because of how I was treated by them even if after the situation. Because yes, hospitality still matters and empathy can go far.
Disliked: In booking a hotel I didn't expect to have a self check-in. Wasn't a fan but they gave detailed instructions. I arrived in the evening and got my keys well enough, but the room I got had a putrid sewer smell to it. Couldn't even sit in the room while trying to get help. However they did not reply to emails or booking messages. It was not until I escalated with booking.com did they put me in a new room. The new room did not smell so I took it but the shower flooded the floor and there was no heat when it was 2C outside. But it was way too late to go through booking again to get help.