Hotel Diplomat - Dusseldorf, Germany 

This hotel was advertised as "3 star" on the booking website. When we arrived, there did not appear to be anything "3 star" about it. There was a musty smell that was obvious upon entry and the hotel carpeting was filthy. The bedding was clean, but there was a cigarette butt waiting for us in our toilet. We paid only 59.5 Euros to stay, but we would have been better off paying more and staying someplace nicer. On a positive note, the hotel desk staff was friendly, and directed us to a fantastic restaurant within walking distance.

The Diplomat was fairly easy to find by car and they have free parking - which in Europe is not so common. I booked a very nice price $58 for a single room on Orbitz, which was considerably lower than the posted price of 128 Euros! The staff are very helpful and nice and English is spoken. The breakfast was very nice. The hotel is also very close to the U-bahn (underground transport) station and only 4 stops or so from the main train station. However, there are some issues. The hotel has many levels all accessed by stairs. So if you have a lot of baggage or have mobility issues this is a problem. The hotel is fairly worn. I won't say it was dirty but it was "lived in". The bathroom was not as clean as I would have liked. I know that Germans are not allowed to use the same cleaners we are, but I have stayed in German homes and other hotels and while things may be a little more "fragrant" in German bathrooms than in the US, this hotel was the worst. The hotel is also on a street serviced by the S-bahn tram. So if you have to sleep with the windows open (like during any of the summer months) then sleeping will be an issue as the tram goes by all day except between midnight and about 5 am. There is no air conditioning so you WILL have your window open. Also, there is a somewhat offensive "Bojangles" - stereotype minstrel statue holding a tray of snacks on the main floor as sort of a hotel minibar. I don't think they mean anything cruel by it, they just don't understand. Maybe I should have mentioned something to them about it but that's my problem. I would say that for less than 85 dollars this is a good deal for D-dorf. Otherwise, look elsewhere.