Steigenberger Duisburger Hof - Duisburg, Germany 

Stayed for one night in January 2008. Very convenient to the opera, which is directly across the street. This is a nice, large, old-fashioned hotel. The exterior of the hotel is impressive; the lobby is decent; the rooms are fairly small but clean. I wasn't expecting much for 99 Euros per night, and I ended up getting what I consider to be fair value. In addition to being next to the opera house, the hotel is centrally located and within a 10-15 minute walk to the train station on one side, and a 10-15 minute walk to the main shopping areas and "Altstadt" on the other side. Breakfast was included in the rate, but I wasn't able to try it, since it didn't open until 7am on Sundays, and I had an early morning flight out of Dusseldorf airport. The hotel seemed rather deserted on the weekend, which was fine. Very quiet. As for the so-called "fitness room," forget about it. There were just a couple of pieces of dilapidated equipment, which probably didn't even work very well when new, in a tiny room. Although it wasn't perfect, this may be the only reasonable choice if you have to stay in Duisburg. I walked by the Hotel Mercure on the way back to the train station, and it didn't look nearly as nice. (Though it may be cheaper by 20-30 Euros.) Front desk staff was friendly and helpful.

Well established hotel right in the city centre, it offers a high standard of service. The facilities need a little updating: bathrooms (although everything works) look very dated. But some might say this part of the hotel's charm. Reception staff were very friendly and efficient and spoke excellent English. The buffet breakfast was excellent. I ate one meal in the bar one evening and it was reasonably priced and very tasty.