TRIP REPORT – Into Germany, Novum Hotel Rieker Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof

The joy of German Immigration, Into Stuttgart and the Novum Hotel Rieker Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
To Stuttgart and Schwabisch Hall

In this trip report:

• An Invite to Germany
• Testing and Paperwork
• Off to Heathrow, Terminal 5, and the South Galleries Lounge
• BA920 London Heathrow to Stuttgart (Club Europe)
• The joy of German Immigration, Into Stuttgart and the Novum Hotel Rieker, Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
• Off to Schwabisch Hall, qubixx stattemitte Hotel
• Economy Class and Beyond at Recaro Aircraft Seating
  • The inauguration of their new customer facility
  • The Recaro Hybrid Seat Show
  • Exploring the Crash-Test facility
• Back to Stuttgart and the joy of pigeons
• Off to Stuttgart Airport
• BA921 Stuttgart to London Heathrow (Club Europe)
• Welcome to Brexitainia, The Premier Inn Heathrow
• Off Home again
• Innovation is the driver

The joy of German Immigration. And Construction work

With our aircraft parked up, I descended the stairs to the waiting bus.

Of course, you can bet this was a few hundred-metre drive from the aircraft to the terminal. Thankfully, it was a short ride to the terminal (no more than a minute).

Then we get to German immigration.

Mein Gott. 

Due to the UK loving its Blue Passports and other jingoistic crap that keeps some Etonians in a constant wet dream (and in the Houses of Parliament), UK Visitors now have to queue up in the “any other countries lane”. In theory, this is fine.

However, it seems that our late flight plus another had filled the immigration hall at Stuttgart Terminal 3, overloading the four border agents who were processing people into Germany.

And that queue wasn’t going down, to put it mildly, as more flights lined up behind us.

German Immigration was pretty strict, with them expecting COVID vaccination status, your arrivals document code and where you are staying (with these things evidenced).

With the agent satisfied with my answers, I heard a sound I haven’t heard when I’ve travelled Europe – the sound of a passport stamp being made.

I was allowed to proceed and continue my business in Germany – with no further questions or conditions.

To luggage claim 

From here, I cleared baggage and the customs checkpoint. I had finally made it to Germany.

After a quick trip to the airport Edeka to pick up some dinner, it was time to play “get into town”.

Leaves for dinner? Why not?

Me being cheap as always – I opted for the S-Bhan route into town.

Down we go. 

I don’t need to translate this, do I? 

Of course, that was a terrible idea, as there was engineering work going on between Vaihingen and Stuttgart Hbf. I just didn’t realise it until looking at the map.

Thankfully at Vaihingen, there’s a connection to different U-Bahn lines. I took U1 into the city, where the S-Bahn acts as a pre-metro operation outside the centre, turning into a U-Bhan when it hits the city tunnels.

U1 

Of course, travelling at night brings its local colour. Such is the joy of travel.

Another transfer

And out we go. 

Another change later, I popped out of the Hauptbahnhof station and switched to Google maps for the short walk to the Hotel Novum Hotel Rieker Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof – my crash pad for the night.

 Hotel Novum Hotel Rieker

I entered the hotel and checked in with reception. I was welcomed and instructed to fill in the paperwork.

All the safety tape

Reception

Reception area

There was some confusion about my identity as I filled in the paperwork (my scrawl gets worse, never better), but eventually, I was checked in. I was directed to a room on the 2nd floor – which would be my crash-pad for the night.

I was also given a physical key. Why do I always get worried when I’m given a physical key to a hotel room?

These worry me. 

I went up the stairs and through the corridors, passing the maroon/pink carpeting. This was looking worse than the £41 I paid for it.

Egads.

I finally got to my room. And went in.

Hallway/

I was greeted with a hallway area of an odd shape, and the bathroom to my left. And then there’s the bedroom area.

Ohhhhhh dearrrrrrr.

I wish the duvet was after I touched it. It wasn’t It was thrown there like that. 

Yeah…

Even a panorama of this room does it not justice. 

It seems the 80s checked in and has yet to check out of the room. There were limited power outlets in the room with a desk area and window you could open. WHich was brilliant because the air conditioner was loud at best, ineffective at worst. Put it like this, I was happier falling asleep to the sound and smells of Stuttgart coming through the window.

The bed, whilst firm, I was half scared of. Mainly due to the care, the duvet had been placed.

Seriously? Who leaves a duvet like that??? I’ve seen worse at halls of residence – and I stayed in those!

Even the mini-bar had given up and run away long ago.

No minibar for you. 

Eventually, the exhaustion of the day caught up with me. I had my salad for dinner that I picked up Edeka and slowly fell asleep.

Dinner of champions

I woke up semi-refreshed and made use of the bathroom – which was thankfully clean enough compared to the state of the room.

It’s not much of an improvement this mess is. 

With time ticking on, and me needing to be in a different place – I dressed up for the day and headed out.

This was a good direction at this point of the game. 

Overall

There are very few places where I’ll put the words “Never again” on. This is one of them.

The place whilst nice on the outside and reception was run down and urgently needs a full refresh to drag it into the 21st centrally, let alone the 2020s. As for the state of bedmaking…. well.

I’m honestly not sure if it was made. Or not.

Next: Off to Schwabisch Hall and qubixx stattemitte Hotel.

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