Mercure Hotel Erfurt Altstadt - Erfurt, Germany 

A pleasant, modern, chain hotel with private parking, less than five minutes' walk from the historic Krämerbrücke. The multiple elevators to different parts of the hotel are a little confusing at first, but present no problem once you know which one leads to your room. Staff were friendly and helpful and there was a good breakfast buffet. We did not use the hotel restaurant as there are plenty of alternatives within easy walking distance, eg the Feuerkugel on Michaelisstrasse which serves typical Thuringian food. The town is in the process of having the historic buildings restored, but some areas still look very run-down and there is a lot of graffiti.

We had mixed feelings about this hotel. We generally like Mercures, but they vary in quality. This hotel was in an excellent location, the facilities were good, and we took advantage of the free Internet availability in the lobby. But our room was in the furthest building from the lobby (there were five elevators because the hotel must consist of five different buildings), on the top floor. It was very small, but adequate. The problem was the spotlight on the cafe across the street that illuminated the side of our building and shone right into our room. And dinner in the hotel's restaurant was okay, but not as good as most of the dinners we had during five weeks in Germany.