Two for the Price of One: The IBIS Budget Hamburg St Pauli

Two for the Price of One: The IBIS Budget Hamburg St Pauli

In this epic…

• Two for the price of one? Or when two become one?
• Off to Manchester Airport on the edge of my seat…
• BA Domestic – BA1387 Manchester Airport to London Heathrow
• Heathrow Transit, American Airlines Flagship Lounge
• American Airlines – AA87 London Heathrow to Chicago, Main Cabin
• Streamlined Immigration?
• The Crowne Plaza O’Hare
• Evening adventures with the Sony A5000
• The Hyatt Regency O’Hare
• Off to O’Hare, American Airlines Admirals Club
• American Airlines – AA1205 Chicago O’Hare to Boston Logan
• A Boston Omnishambles
• British Airways – BA202 Boston Logan to London Heathrow Terminal 5 in World Traveller Plus
• Transit and changes… from holiday to work, British Airways Galleries North Lounge
• British Airways – BA974 London Heathrow to Hamburg
• IBIS Budget St Pauli, Hamburg
• Trade Show 101 (or… don’t sleep on your glasses).
• Pounding the Halls of AIX – What you might had missed…
• A Walk around the Hamburg Dom
• Rushing back to Hamburg Airport
• British Airways – BA967 Hamburg to London Heathrow
• Homeward bound
• Mixing business with pleasure

Getting off the plane in not a totally awake state, I followed the crowd to immigration. With a scan and a nod, I was let into Germany.

Thank you BA plane.

From there – it’s a simple matter of following the signs for the exit – mainly as was carrying my world on my back as opposed to anywhere else.

To the border!

Willkommen in Hamburg!

With that it was a matter of following the signs to the S-Bahn. Whilst there were quicker ways of getting to the hotel I would be staying at… this would be the least most intensive on the mind.

Now, you’d think with the open platform access ways, you can just get on a train without paying? Wrong. There are inspectors out there. As I’d discover on the way back (so Kevin’s top tip always buy a ticket).

So like any dutiful citizen, I paid my €3.20 to ride into the City Centre and beyond.

Waiting S-Bahn train

The map. Easy to understand too

It seems the police were  on full alert, doing a spot immigration check on some youngsters on the platform – who were prevented boarding the train.

The view from my seat.

Me? I headed aboard the S-Bahn service over to the Hauptbahnhof to change trains to U3 to St Pauli.

I did say I did simple – especially when I’m tired out.

Getting off the train at St Pauli, I was in familiar territory as the Holiday Inn Express (where I stayed last year) was visible. Just beyond that my digs for this trip: The IBIS Budget.

The Ibis budget in blue. The main Ibis is next door, and the Holiday Inn Express? On the other side! Choices for the low-cost traveller.

IBIS Budget Hamburg

I headed in, and was greeted.

Reception area

Internet Access point

Hotel guide.

My reservation was confirmed and my “key” was issued. Except – this isn’t any ordinary key. It’s a key code.

Umm. Wha?

What is this this black magic?

Down the corridor.

Instead of keycards or real keys, one has to enter a code to get into the door of the room.

So you enter the code to get in the room. One less cost for the hotel to worry about…

So let’s take a look at the room.

Firstly. It’s green. Inoffensive, but green.  The bed is a combined double bed, with a bunk bed on top.

The bed itself… wasn’t that bad I’m going to be honest. It wasn’t that soft (certainly, I could feel the bottom of the mattress, but it wasn’t uncomfortable).

There’s a small TV – which carries most German programming (although my German comprehension has got worse since I’ve got older), and limited English-speaking programming.

To the left is the sink and taps, with the bathroom in a little cupboard, and a shower hidden away

Basin. Apologies. Photographer at work. The bacon wallet also offends… but I’m not apologising for that.

Shower bubbles

Toilet.

Outside – not much of view – except into other people’s homes

Hello People of Saint Pauli!

The Internet speed was passable – wasn’t brilliant, but passable. Put it like this – it allowed me to watch Youtube videos, post a few articles and keep me sane

In the rate I purchased – breakfast was included. This is more of a godsend than you could imagine – I was burning up the halls each day with over 15,000 steps a day.

The breakfast was a help-your-self offering, and was a continental style breakfast. Let’s have a look…

Bread…

Meats and Cheeses

Cereals

Juices and coffee

Teas

More Bread

All the Mini Nutella!

Eggs!

In terms of seating, there’s a mixture of bar style seating, stool seating and table style – depending if you’re travelling alone

For where I needed to be in Hamburg, it’s location can’t be beaten. It’s 15 minutes walk to the Messe, round the corner from the Reeperbahn, and close to a U-Bahn connection.

And if you time it right when you visit – The Hamburger Dom fun-fair will be open. But that’s another post.

Overall: Yes, it’s a basic property where your expectations need to be slimmed down appropriately (and considering I was staying at a Hyatt Regency beforehand, it was a major climb-down). However – it delivers a place stay at a reasonable cost, with most creature comforts.

I just wish they had electronic keycards instead of that door lock code.

Next: How do you prepare for a trade show when you’re writing during it? A look behind the scenes at Economy Class and Beyond.

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