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by marif
Birchircara, Malta Majjistral, Malta
November 30, 2004
Reasonably priced and within walking distance of the Old Town and the parks, Hotel City is ideal for those who put price and location before comfort and atmosphere. This does not mean in any way that Hotel City is a dreary or second-rate place of accommodation. As a matter of fact, it provides good no-nonsense rooms and sufficient comfort to satisfy the needs of all but the most discerning of travellers.
From the train station, Hotel City can be reached on foot in about 15 minutes. When you exit from the station, walk north on Bahnhofstrasse towards the city centre. After crossing Bahnhofsbrucke, the bridge over the train tracks, continue further north until you reach Rudolf-Breitscheid-strasse. Turn right on Rudolf-Breitscheid-strasse and walk about 50 metres. Here you’ll find Hotel City, its name clearly displayed above the porched doorway.
The hotel occupies a renovated three-storey house of character that was modified to meet the needs of a medium-sized hotel. The welcoming reception on the ground floor is modestly furnished with a dark-wood reception desk, side tables with matching armchairs and an extravagance of unique pre-war historic photos. Take your time to examine these old photos to see how the whole city of Cottbus, particularly the Old Town and the parks looked before the war. Though not as fluent as you would wish them to be, the receptionists can easily cope with your English. Since the hotel is rarely if ever full, I have succeeded in bargaining for the price of a double which was reduced by 9 Euro per night.
Just behind the reception, the restaurant-bar which doubles as a breakfast room is a graceful place with four rows of tables decorated with ceramic vases and matching candlesticks. The windows overlook a charming garden terrace that is used frequently as a restaurant extension or an open-air summer venue. A footpath leads from the garden terrace to the parking space, available free for hotel guests. Adjoining the restaurant, the huge conference-banquet room is the ideal place for business conferences, wedding receptions or anniversaries and birthday parties.
The hotel’s two upper floors are occupied by 5 singles and 15 doubles. There’s no lift and the only way upstairs is through a wide carpeted staircase adorned with a lovely wrought iron banister and more wall-hanging nostalgia photos. The double rooms are large enough to accommodate a family while the singles can easily be upgraded to host two persons. The bed is covered with a white soft fluffy duvet that complements the undulating white lines of the curtains. The bathrooms are equipped with a hot water shower and all the basic amenities available are spick-and-span. The breakfast buffet though not extravagant provides an ample supply of oven-fresh bread, fruit, cereal, coffee cakes and juices.
Once a month always on a Friday, the hotel’s ground floor becomes one big venue where locals join tourists to celebrate a Sushi night, a real extravaganza of Japanese food, exotic cocktails and night-long Japanese music.
From journal A serene city of parks and woodlands