Review of City Hotel Dresden Radebeul 4*

Even though I stayed here two years ago (January 2008), it was such a great stay that I have been meaning to write a review. I went for my 60th birthday. I was a female traveling alone and I found this hotel through Expedia. It was a great place. The only downside is it was a 25 minute ride via tram to downtown Dresden. Not bad, because I spotted restaurants as the tram passed by them and then returned to them later for dinner. The tram times are listed at the stop and you can completely rely on the schedule to the minute. You purchase a ticket in a machine before boarding. Age sixty is the beginning of Senior discounting, Nice treat for me. Being in the suburbs also enabled me to walk through local housing areas, stop at shops nearby and eat at the outdoor morning market close by (held 2 mornings a week). If you are going to Dresden to see the museums and a swimming pool is not important to you, there is a Steigenberger in downtown Dresden. I am a swimmer, so it was important to have a hotel with a pool. The pool was long and perfect for laps, though the lanes are not delineated. That was not a problem because most people just bob around, so I could pick an area and "claim it", so to speak, for a lane. The exercise/weight area was great. Everything was clean (it is Gmy. After all). If you are not used to co-ed saunas sans clothing, you can wear a towel. There actually were two saunas which had two different temperatures. The foot bath, the outside walking area for cooling off, steam room and chaise lounges were all there, too. It was a fabulous club within the hotel. I especially liked seeing my reflection in the pool glass ceiling as I back stroked. This helped me to correct my stroke. The hot tub was not hot, only tepid to cool water. I was disappointed in this since I wanted to soak my aching feet after a day of museums. The ride from the airport by cab is the best way to get there if you don't have a car. There is a walk to the tram stop of about 8 minutes. Caveat: The cobblestones were everywhere in and around Dresden and my feet were very sore after 9 days of walking on them in spite of very sensible walking shoes. The people at the desk spoke English and were very professional. Not warm and friendly, but one arranged a spot at the VW factory tour for me. I wish I had known of this service before the last day. I missed a few things, since I was not able to find the venues. They offered an excellent, varied and full breakfast which I felt was expensive for every day. No option for a smaller meal. There is a full restaurant there for evening, also, but I cannot recall why I did not eat there. I know I tried. There was construction going on in the lobby at the end of my stay and it was well sealed off. A lot of attention to detail. Another great thing is the heat in the room. I could wash things out in the evening and hang them in the bathroom and they would be dry in the morning. I turned it off in the bedroom and opened the windows for sleeping under the down comforters on the nice firm beds and the room heated right up in the morning. The room service was invisible. The room was always cleaned, but never saw a soul in the hallways or the room. There is a bedroom, bath and separate toilet room. I am very petite and the bathtub was so long and deep and I was so tired, that I was concerned I could slip under the water some nights. So, taller people should love the tubs. I took some side trips out of town (Meissen, etc. ) and found the train depot to be close enough (an 18 minute walk) to still be convenient. All in all, I would stay there again in a heartbeat and wish it was closer, so I could. Patty.