TRIP REPORT: The Ibis Budget St Pauli (Refurbished) - More Innovations in Hamburg

TRIP REPORT: The Ibis Budget St Pauli (Refurbished)
More Innovations in Hamburg

Welcome to reason number three why I decided to proceed with this trip report this year… and it’s this updated hotel that operates under the Ibis Budget brand. Last year, when I passed through, work had begun. Now it’s complete. Let’s see if there are improvements… or some space crushing descisions that have been made…

In this week of passenger experience fun:

Ibis Budget St Pauli

Price Paid – £350.19 for four nights (Advanced Rate, Accor ALL sale).

I arrived a little before the expected check-in time at the Ibis Budget St. Pauli (given that the cheaper Accor hotels tend to prefer the 3 pm check-in times). But thankfully, I recognised the front desk agent – and they recognised me and were able to allocate a room.

Moin!

Reception (shot later).

Thus, it was time for paperwork, with this budget hotel going super budget, and making people fill in the registration form by hand.

With that done, a keycard was issued for the room, and I was free to head up to the 6th floor, where my room awaited.

Up we go. Meanwhile, how much do drinks cost if you can’t be bothered to walk to Penny, and when you might want to avoid breakfast?

When I was here last year, the hotel was being refurbished floor by floor, and I had an old-style room. This year, with all the floors tidied up, the hallways have glowed up (and also, the lights are sensor-triggered – something to be aware of if you’re tired from a day of hiking in a trade hall and you enter a dark hallway that lights up).

You are Number Six! (Also, where does the floor start and the wall end?).

Going into the room, the dimensions of the room haven’t changed – but the layout has a little, and it felt.. A lot more closed in. At least the lime green room is long gone.

Hallway.

The easiest way is to show you. In the past (before 2025), the sink basin and shower were in the main room, with a lot of extra room.

Now, the shower and sink are in their own room, forming a separate bathroom. That’s great in terms of separating space off, but it has cut into the bedroom, which feels as tight as some asian hotel bathrooms.

The wall right up to the bed is a decision.

A good trade-off? I’m not sure.

Other notable changes are the mass installation of power and USB-A and C outlets (welcome in this age), the use of a wire cage feature for storage and moving the hangers around.

Lots of these around (Mains and USB-A and USB-C).

But if you want high wattage, get those adaptors out.

Caged wall storage

And a recycled footstool

In terms of the bed, it’s the “improved” Ibis budget bed with the overhead bunk. Which is still fun to bump your head against if you’re not paying attention. It’s also free storage, which is how I use the bed.

This bed, with a firm base, is a good thing – the mattress, however, it does have a mind of its own, needing me to push it back into position after waking up (it had slid across the bed base).

Don’t get me started.

What was I doing on the bed? Sleeping, editing, and watching bad YouTube. There’s no chance of “fun and games” when on the clock, sadly, in my life. As for the bunk, it was useful for extra storage.

The shower and sink unit was well lit, with the common liquid pump gel, which is fine… but this is maybe one occasion where a trip to get some soap, if you like bar soap, is a good idea.

The toilet remained in its own cubicle.

As for the view, I had a room facing local homes – what the hotel laughingly calls a “Garden view”. I wonder what they must think with hotel guests circling in and out, catching glimpses of their lives.

The room was made up and cleaned each day, which was good to see – even if they were more than a little enthusiastic in cleaning (I had an empty bottle which I was going to recycle via the Pfand machines… and instead it was cleaned for me. Remember, €0.25 is €0.25).

In the reception area, there was the usual breakfast dining area. I didn’t partake of the breakfast – for the equivalent of £46, I could do a lot better locally (and to be honest, I was starting so early most days I couldn’t take advantage of it).

The biggest new thing is that the hotel has installed a lot more machines for self-service drinks and food. Considering this is a budget outlet and sometimes going out for things late in the evening is a no-go (or at least sometimes not a good idea), it’s a convenient option.

Check out was simple enough – I was able to go to the reception desk, and was processed quickly. With the final bill sent to my email, I was able to go back into the mess that’s the Hamburg Messe.

Overall

For the price I’ve paid… I’m happy with what I got. It beats paying full price for this property, which no one in the mind (right or otherwise) should do during a trade show week.

Whilst it’s a high-quality refurbishment, the boxing in of the sink and shower means there is a lot less room to swing a cat in (although not as bad as some Japanese business hotels), and if you’re spending any sort of time in the hotel, you might find it a little more closed in than it used to be.

With other amenities too, it’s a good enough base to explore Hamburg, and I’ve got no problem staying here again… and I probably will as it’s one of the cheapest properties during a busy week.

A walk through the Hamburg Dom fair on a Monday night. With drizzle.

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TRIP REPORT: The Ibis Budget St Pauli (Refurbished) – More Innovations in Hamburg