Clean and you know what your getting' maybe thats its one disappointment (Ibis Hotel Graz)

Member Name: darren55

Product:	Ibis Hotel Graz
Date:	10/09/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean and well connected

Disadvantages: not near the old city

It has been my view that you can travel all over europe and have the knowledge that somewhere in any large city in the continent that there will be an IBIS somewhere.

so what do you get and should you be surprised or not?

Is there comfort in knowing that you can travel anywhere, check into an IBIS and know that once you've closed the door to your room you could be anywhere on earth because the rooms are identical? its a good thing and a bit depressing at the same time because surely one of the main aspirations for travelling is to enjoy luxurious or different accomodation. So when I travelled to Graz for a conference I booked into the IBIS in Graz.

THis I thought had two advantages, it would be easy to find and it was next to the bus station meaning travel into the city would be striaghtforward. So I got a bus into the city centre from the airport then a tram to the station, it took around 45 minutes for the whole journey. The hotel is a large imposing building built on 4 floors, with a reception at the bottom which is actually pretty small and doubles as a bar.

I was worried when I got here that my total lack of German would be a problem but the receptionist spoke almost flawless English, except for the statement "Could you write down your place of living" I knew what he meant, he meant my address.

Registering took only a few moments and I was informed that I was on the second floor, and would need to take the little lift upwards, also the breakfast suite was on the third floor. The lift was small and made of glass and was on the outside of the building looking over the station and the local Spar. It moved at an alarming but fast rate.

I found my room without too many problems and proceeded to do what everyome does once entering a hotel room i.e. find out whats on TV, a bit tricky when its in German.

The room was spotlessly clean, it was decorated in an inoffensive orangey brown and has the biggest bed I've had the pleasure of sprawling across. The shower room was bright and clean and all in all everything was what you want for a stay overnight.

the hotel also had free internet in the lounge area available for up to 30 minutes if the lounge is busy.


Travel into the city was easy on either the 63 bus to the university area or the numbers 3 or 6 tram into the old Graz. Graz is a beautiful city and well worth visiting. Both cost 2 euros either way.

So all in all I think its ok to stay in a IBIS hotel if the purpose is for business as the hotel is perhaps too far away to walk into the old city and if your going to travel to Graz for pleasure than an inner city hotel would be better. Its well connected to the old city and the university and costs a reasonable 63 euros a night per room which includes breakfast.

I'd happily stay there again if I was visiting Gra on business but perhaps not for pleasure.

Summary: lovely city and a good place to stay for a conference