The Alster Hof is located on the Esplanade. Turn right as you leave the hotel and at the corner you are at the inner Alster, the lake in the center of the city. Turn left and at he corner you are at the Stephansplatz U Bahn (subway) station. An ideal location with none of the tawdry aspects in the vicinity of other hotels in its price and star class. Breakfast is more than ample: eggs, meats, cheeses, yoghurts, juices, fresh and prepared fruits, all with starched tablecloths and attentive wait staff.

Rooms are quiet, even facing the street, due to insulated windows. Some single rooms are not for the claustrophobic! Others are somewhat larger, but stilll small by US standards. All staff friendly and helpful. All in all, a real bargain!

Headline says it all. Very typical high quality German standards family like hotel. Not a big chain or luxury hotel, a little off the beaten path (in a good way) but a very short easy walk to the lakes, shopping, luxury hotels, restaurants, historic sites, etc. U1 metro is steps away for direct link to main rail station and one change to airport. Not at all seedy area like near the train station or St Pauli, where better value accommodations are more abundant. Double decker hop on/off city tour bus stop (every 15 minutes) is next door. Unadvertised is hotel "gym", which is really only three cardio machines in good shape. Only area I was displeased with is no free WiFi anywhere in hotel. In-room WiFi is available for 4.50 Euros per hour through T-Mobile (or possibly free with T-Mobile user account). Free WiFi seems to be rare in Hamburg unless you find a Starbucks (and there are several nearby.) There is a free Internet PC in the lobby for guests' use and the wait for using it was rarely more than five minutes. I definitely would consider staying here again, but not go out of my way if the price were not equaivalent to others in area.

My partner and I have just returned from this hotel where we stayed 4 nights. The hotel is in a great location right next to Stephensplatz U-Bahn station which you can get to from the airport by changing at Ohlsdorf or by going straight to the Hauptbahnhof and from there it is about a 10 minute walk.
The Jungfernsteig is about a 5 minute walk and the Rathaus a further 5 minute walk. The Christmas markets in Hamburg were great although 3 days of Gluwein and sugary/fried food was enough for us!
Our hotel room was huge and very nice although it was a smoking room (not requested) and we could smell stale smoke when walking into the room. They are also doing some renovating at the hotel and whilst this wasn't a problem for most of our stay we were woken at 8am on the last morning by builders at work in the next room to us which wasn't welcome!
Breakfast was great - lots of choice and the staff were all attentive except one waitress who told my partner they had no English tea when she had it every other morning we stayed there.
Reception staff were helpful and spoke good English.
This was a good value hotel in a great location and we would recommend it to others

We chose this hotel because of it's location - near shops, and near a U Bahn station. The price was also right.
We could not fault this choice. We were able to check in early and were given two very good rooms. Well appointed, clean, warm and comfortable. Especially appreciated given the weather which was windy and wet.
We had a bathroom with bath/shower, but our second room had only a shower. If this is important, say so on booking.
Breakfast was included and was also spot on. Not overly lavish but fresh fruit, normal cheese/meats etc and those wanting cooked breakfast had the choice of boiled or scrambled egg and bacon.
We could not fault this hotel and we suspect that as this is a family owned hotel, there was added incentive not found in chains.

There is a health centre but we didn't use it.

We would stay here again.