The weekend before Christmas 2024, Dennis and I went to Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia for the Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas market. Germany is a master in Christmas markets. And a successful excursion to Bonn in 2023 left us wanting a sequel. On our way to Germany on Friday night, we learned about the 2024 Magdeburg Christmas Market car attack. That was all over the news. Would we notice anything different in Münster?
Dennis chose Hotel Europa in Münster because had a competitive price and more importantly, it has parking space. Yes, we came from Antwerp to Münster by car.
Introduction
“The businesses Hotel Conti, Hotel Europa and the Boardinghouse Münster are run by the Koenig family in the third consecutive generation. After the Second World War and the complete destruction of their own Konditorei Koenig in Würzburg, Georg and Ruth Koenig sought a new professional beginning and found it in Münster”, the website says. It’s great the hotel gives a bit of history.
“They leased the building opposite the train station of Müster of the former Dortmunder Union Brewery. The Hotel Conti was initially located in that building, from the 5th until the 9th floor. Georg Koenig Jr. later took over the business in the 80s and built the Hotel Europa in 1991 in the Erpho district of Münster.”
“Over the years, the Hotel Conti also expanded to the other floors of its building, which were previously rented out externally. The reception was moved to the ground floor in 1998. With a large glass façade and the Conti Bistro, not only the hotel, but also the station district were sustainably upgraded. In 2008 the sons Markus and Ralf Koenig came back to Münster from Switzerland and have been working in the company ever since.”
“The Boardinghouse Münster was created in 2009, which is located next to the Hotel Europa and designed for long-term stays. Tobias Koenig has been with the company since 2018 and will use his experience in Germany and abroad as input for the company.”
First impressions
The last (re)styling of the hotel dates from a while ago, the typeface of the exteriour signs, but also the colour palette inside indicates. First decade of the 21st century, I’m guessing.
We were there very early so we were pre-checked in, but couldn’t leave our bags. I didn’t understand why. But luckily we could leave them in the car.
After a day of ‘Christmas marketing’ we could go to our room.
The room
Our room was located in the annex building, on the first floor. First floor in the European way of counting: so one flight of stairs up.
The first thing that struck me is the carpet in the hallway continues into the room. I don’t recall ever having seen that. Normally there’s another type, colour, … of floor outside and inside the room.
The second observation is how cold it was in the room. It’s a meme on the internet: German love open windows and indeed they were open. It’s called luften (‘airing’, so ventilating). It’s a bit of an obsession. We closed them immediately and turned on the heaters. Which took time to have some effect. The room would only be warm and cosy come the morning.
There’s a bed, a wardrobe and a desk. The wardrobe includes a scale. So we can monitor how many Bradwürste we ate.
The desk features stationary. That’s a throwback to the eighties and early nineties. I almost wanted to use it and indeed write a letter. But being a Saturday, I feared not being able to buy stamps.
One essential item we did not find: available power sockets. We had to unplug our bedside table lamp to have an available socket. It’s 2024, people need to charge phones, watches and other devices. This is really not okay.
Maybe we didn’t find them? But power sockets shouldn’t be the subject of a treasure hunt.
The bathroom
The bathroom is huge and features two toilets! One urinal and one sit-down water closet. Interesting. We did not use these simultaneously. No synchronised peeing I’m afraid.
There are two sinks which is extremely rare. Another oddity is the the colour of the towels: not white but orange.
The shower was standard, the light was good in the bathroom and the floor was cold because of the open windows.
Breakfast
Breakfast was from 7.30 AM to 10 AM. And it was a special day because we were required to check out by 10 AM. I suppose because it was Christmas, they closed the hotel that Sunday at 10 AM.
Breakfast was not included, but only 15 euros which is a sharp price. The offering was pretty standard, with a selection of bread, many cold cuts and cheeses as you expect in Germany, jams and honey, vegetables, yoghurts, teas and coffee. Scrambled and boiled eggs are also offered.
So?
Hotel Europa gives itself four stars, Booking gives it three. Three is more accurate. The quirky choices such as continuous carpet and two toilets are that: quirky. The temperature in the room due to open windows is annoying, but could be worse.
The lack of available power sockets is quite unacceptable. Having to plug out a reading light? Really? This is (was) 2024. Do better. Offer a power socket block at the desk or something like that if you can’t adapt the room.
Hotel Europa has some neat ideas, such as providing bicycles. But the lack of sockets, the inability to take luggage into storage and closing early on a Sunday put me off, to be honest.
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