In an earlier trip for work to Mannheim, I had stayed at the Park Inn, so the Steigenberger was certainly a step up from that concrete bunker. So here we go:
The good: The lobby and ground floor was very modern and well appointed. The staff was very welcoming and willing to help us out upon our arrival - they answered a lot of questions and went the extra mile to be of service. The breakfast, while 18 euros, was phenomenal. Location in town was very good as well...on square near the Wasserturm and 5-10 minute walk from pedestrian zone
The bad: Probably the worst gym I've ever seen for a decent hotel. Tucked away in the corner of the basement and housed with equipment that looked like they had been used by the East German olympic team in 1968.
The ugly: While the ground floor of the hotel, the hallways, etc. were very modern and sleek, my room looked like a motel room from 1977. Bad florals, huge tube tv, funny smell. I realize I had booked the cheapest corporate rate through my company, but I'm not really sure why they would update all of the common areas and most of the sleeping rooms, yet leave the economy ones undone. Room was clean and comfortable enough, but left me scratching my head.

I've been to Mannheim several times and have always stayed at this hotel. The rooms are nice, clean and simple and spacious compared to othe hotels in Europe. Within walking distance to everything Downtown and easy to navigate. The staff is very helpful and friendly and try to accommodate you in any way they can.

This is a grand hotel with an incredible staff. The library had a free internet option and a great piano bar the night I was there. This felt like a classic hotel that has kept its grandeur. I really enjoyed this place. Maybe 10 minutes from the train station, down a quiet little street, but with cafes just around the corner. And only 10 minutes from the main shopping area.

I stayed in this hotel for one night and it was not too pleased. The hotel lobby is really lovely and I like the way they transformed this old building.

The room was rather basic and a bit dated but overall fine on first impression. The room was extremely warm in April and there was no air con and it was not clear where the heat came from (all radiators were off). I normally cope well with heat but I found this very unpleasant. In addition, the room was smelly and it seemed to have been converted into a non smoking room rather recently.

I left the window open but the street was very noisy. Once traffic had quieted down in the night, the snoring of my next room neighbor replaced the ambiance sound. The bed is very hard and my bed linen had holes in it. The shower had no pressure which might be due to the limescale.

Breakfast is okay with plenty of choice and the breakfast room is really well designed. The hotel is very centrally located.