I stayed here once when it was the Copthorne, and came back with fond memories. BIG MISTAKE!

The hotel is undergoing extensive renovation and has gone way way way down market e.g no toiletries in the bathroom etc. All signs point to the closed-off section

Wifi worked ok; U-Bahn connection to the City Centre good and well priced at €2.50 each way

The hotel itself is great: big, clean rooms with free Internet and free mini-bar. The Internet is that annoying kind where you often lose your connection at an inopportune time and have to re-sign in often.

In Germany, parking is annoying and expensive, so I normally much prefer to stay downtown where I can walk around. The U-Bahn is right outside, but who wants to deal with that when driving is better?

I should warn you about the rest of the complex: it is by no means horrible, but it is for the totally uninspired type. I am 99% certain that every restaurant in the complex gets their food from the same supplier (and I'm talking the German version of the awful American Sysco that serves the same frozen food to every Applebees, TGI Fridays and every other nasty "choke'n'puke" in the States). It's one of those places where the least complicated food to microwave - the Schnitzel - is somehow the most expensive on the menu. I could forgive this at one of the countryside German joints where they kill the pig while you wait. But here, it tastes like a Tyson chicken patty. I guess they're gunning for the Americans with no taste here for work...and well, I guess there are some Germans with no taste or class as well...

If you're fine eating at a chain joint every night of the week or if you are absolutely prepared to go in search of decent food every night (and the local neighborhoods have some to be found), then go for it. Otherwise, find someplace with more style.

I stayed in the Dormero in Stuttgart during a very recent business trip there. My room was on the 7th floor overlooking the valley - an extremely pleasant view indeed. The hotel is nestled amongst the local theatres with a number of broadway style musicals on offer, the area of which is near the 'industrial' side of Stuttgart, near the various car-manufacturer headquarters and not the 'downtown' section, which is some 15-25 minutes away by taxi. The hotel looks very modern and professional from the outside, with relatively modest interior design. Parts of the hotel were undergoing renovation during my stay, but they never affected the hotel's service or caused me any inconvenience or nuisance. The lifts are card-key operated to ensure that only hotel guests can reach the room floors. That said, this function is not floor-specific, so your card key will allow you to access virtually all the guest floors. There are two decent-sized restaurants currently operating on the ground floor. My room was tidy and the size was decent - not too big and by no means too small. I was staying alone in the room so I found it more than sufficient. There is a flat screen TV available which also has international channels tuned in (CNN and BBC news on 24-hours and ITV Daybreak in the mornings). The bathroom was very clean and relatively big compared to the room itself, with a bath tub, and well equipped with sockets and a supply of the usual toothbrushes, combs and cotton buds etc.

I will try to keep this review brief, but helpful, so here are some of the pros of the hotel:

- Free wifi internet connection, easily operated and which you can login using various electronic items (i.e. laptop and iPhone at the same time).

- Well-stocked minibar with a variety of beverages, all of which are free.

- Very pleasant, friendly and well-trained front desk staff, who were extremely helpful and willing to help, both over the phone and in person.

- Location (please also see cons) - for those that don't like the hustle and bustle of the downtown area, this part of Stuttgart is relatively quiet and scenic in terms of its natural surroundings. Even though there was a big highway on one side, I never found it noisy.

- The breakfast served is amazing by European standards - a huge selection of local breads and pasties, cold platter (with cheese, salami and other cold cuts), yoghurts, muesli and cereals, an impressive selection of teas and other beverages, including coffee and milkshakes, fresh fruits, and a hot selection with local sausages, meatballs, baked beans, mushrooms, bacon, hashed browns, pancakes and waffles. Very filling and the quality is not bad at all. Granted that it doesn't come cheap (best part of 20 Euros per person), but once you consider it to standard continental breakfasts and the prices they charge, I personally thought this was well worth the price.

- I noticed in some reviews that the design and deco of the hotel were dated and old. Granted, I also thought the Hanzel & Gretel/Venetian Macao inspired interior design was rather cheesy, and the colours of the deco in the lobbies and rooms were rather drab, the entire hotel, I thought, was very well-kept and new.

Cons:

- Actually don't have too many bad things to say about the hotel, but if I had to be pedantic, the first issue would be the location. While I actually quite enjoyed the quiet surroundings, the hotel is miles away from...well, pretty much everything. If you're going there for business, and fancy a short stay afterwards or going purely as tourists, you may find the daily 20-25 minute ride to all the local attractions slightly annoying, and when the ride costs around 20 to 25 Euros each way, it is worth considering. That said, I was traveling alone and if you are going as a group or family, you can spread the cost.

- The pillows are very thin and flimsy! If you need good neck support like me, you'll need 3 to 5 of their standard pillows or call housekeeping for a pillow with more volume.

Hope that helps!

This hotel has all you need for a fun stay. It is in a complex of shops, restaurants and theaters. Close to the city itself, if is also close to the American installations which makes it a mix of Germans and Americans. There is a full spa as well and the U bahn is at the door. A half hour to city center if that is more to your liking. No complaints for a couple of nights of business and probably fine for a weekend get away.