Hamburg is Europe’s third largest port, so it seems fitting that the Mercure Hamburg have adopted a shipping theme throughout the hotel with wardrobes disguised as containers and large knots on the wall.
Disclaimer: Our two night stay was provided by Hamburg Marketing to review Hamburg as a family city break. As always these are all my own words. This post also contains affiliate links. Should you click to purchase, it is at no additional cost to you, but I receive a small commission.
The Junior Suite on the sixth floor is a great option for a visit to Hamburg with kids and gets extra bonus points for space and views. With the number 3 bus stopping almost right outside the hotel every 10 minutes, it’s easy to get into the city, and the huge breakfast will set you up nicely for a day of exploring.
Click here to check rates and availability.
The location
If you arrive by public transport, first impressions aren’t amazing as the hotel is situated on a busy, major road. But when you walk through the doors of the Mercure Hamburg into the foyer, it’s a very different vibe.
It’s 2km from the main harbour area. This is very walkable, but for families you may want to use the Number 3 bus that goes into the city from the junction outside the hotel. This journey takes ten minutes.
The Junior Suite
Situated on the sixth floor, the Junior Suite is impressive. You are immediately drawn to the large expansive windows that look over the city, before noticing that the fridge and wardrobe are disguised as shipping containers.
A couple of thoughtful touches were set to welcome us, including small cuddly toys for the boys waiting on their pillows, a map with heart stickers for places of interest in the city for kids, and a framed welcome message to ‘Jenny, Jason, Arthur and Ezra’.
There are two separate sections to the room. On one side a super king bed, and on the other is a sofa, work area, and fridge. The sofa had been pulled out to make a double bed for the boys.
A large wardrobe in the hallway with a safe inside, and a surprisingly small bathroom leads off from this (shower only).
The room is modern with clean lines, and very comfortable. So much so it was difficult to tear ourselves away in the mornings to explore Hamburg; the room very much encourages lazy lie-ins.
There are two huge TV screens, standard fluffy bath robes and slippers, and an expresso machine. Although being a tea drinker, I had to call down to housekeeping for a kettle, tea bags and milk, which they quickly delivered.
Breakfast
Breakfast is included for all guests from 6:30AM to 10AM daily. On weekends breakfast is served to 11AM. It gets VERY busy. It’s advised to go early, but when your room is so comfortable, that’s easier said than done.
The buffet breakfast is extensive, though heavy on meat options. The boys absolutely loved the self-service pancake machine.
Facilities
Despite the size of the hotel, facilities are limited and more geared to conferences. There is no fitness centre, although there is a sauna on the ground floor.
WiFi throughout the hotel is excellent. The cafe bar adjoined to the foyer is also a nice place to chill with a good book and hot chocolate.
Final thoughts on Mercure Hamburg
The location isn’t condusive for nipping in and out of the city easily. Plus, we always found the the bus or metro never quite dropped us off where we wanted to be, and involved a fair bit of walking. With so many busy roads to cross, this can be cumbersome with young kids. So it’s just a case of being organised and staying out for the whole day.
But the Junior Suite room is very special. We loved the expansive city view and the huge breakfast will certainly set you up nicely for the day.
I didn’t get to see any other rooms but there are also standard family rooms available. Click here to check rates and availability.
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Visiting Hamburg with kids
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