Hotel Residenz Joop - Magdeburg, Germany 

My husband and I were referred to Residenz Joop by a colleague at the University Hospital for a business trip to Magdeburg in July. The inn is an absolute gem in a lovely residential neighborhood. The rooms and common spaces are beautifully furnished in a refreshing, light contemporary European style, simple and elegant. The breakfast buffet was outstanding, a variety of cold meats, sausage, smoked salmon or other fish, and cheeses, with several excellent breads and rolls, fresh fruit, muesli and other cereals, pastries, juices, hot tea or coffee and a choice of egg cooked to your taste. Very fortifying for a long day of work or business! Magdeburg is about an hour from Berlin by train (leaving from Berlin Zoo). Travel by train is very convenient--the Residenz Joop is just a couple of kilometers from the main Magdeburg train station., i.e., a short and inexpensive cab ride. The town is also a straight shot on the highway if one is renting a car. The crown jewels of the inn are the proprietors, Herr and Frau Joop. They were outstandingly hospitable and attentive. Both speak impeccable English, but are happy to let a novice German speaker try out a few phrases. They provided detailed and enthusiastic recommendations to the local sights and restaturants. I found their suggestions for nice areas and parks in which to walk and run especially helpful. I was unexpectedly charmed by Magdeburg in the summer. Though the city isn't noted as a tourist attraction, it provided a very relaxing and pleasant work setting with many rose and garden plantings, lovely walks along the Elbe and in nearby parks, and several good restaurants. As a physicist I was charmed by the ubiquity of references to local hero and physicst/scientist Otto von Guericke and the Sphere of Magedburg. The city reminds me a great deal of one of the nice small cities or towns of the American Midwest. It's a very comfortable sort of place. In sum, it was a pleasure to stay at the Residenz Joop. I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Magdeburg.