Hamburg Hotel Suggestions
 

I'll be staying in Hamburg later this year, and would like to make the city a base for some day trips to destinations such as Lubeck and Luneberg. I'd like to stay in a hotel (3-4 star range) with easy access to the Hauptbahnhof, either by walking or short public transit ride. It doesn't have to be fancy - and a location with some restaurants and shops nearby would be a plus. Suggestions? Danke!

Let me tell you about our experience in Hamburg last August at the Kempenski-Atlantic which is about a five (ten max) minute walk from the main RR station. I tried three times to port this "rant" on the Fodors website without success but here it is for what it is worth, in case this is a hotel you're thinking of staying in.
The Atlantic is a grand place and has been so for decades..big beautiful lobby, great concierge services, a rather "reserved" front desk staff (easy to deal with this..just remind yourself that you belong there just as much as anyone else)..hallways are WIDE, rooms have very high ceilings, our marble bathroom was somehat small, decoration in room was fine and in decent shape.
The problem: got checked in and had a lakeview room on the 4th floor reserved. Got to the room, immediately discovered it was not air conditioned; bellman called to Front Desk..they sent us to another room on 1st (US 2nd) Floor..also "lakeview" but with trees totally obscuring the "view" of the lake...no price break (in thnbeir opinion)

in their opinion but this was air conditioned...but the air conditioning was very noisey and not adequate...we put up with it.
Felt breakfast buffet was very pricey for what was offered.
I got them to finally come down on the room price, too, after a little haggling.
It is a great location RR station-wise and a great old hotel...others may have different experiences..I would probably stay at the "Four Seasons" when i go back, though. Enjoy Hamburg--great city.

Thank you, Intrepid. Air conditioning won't be a problem for me, a I plan on being in Hamburg in late autumn/winter. Any one else have suggestions? Thanks.

It wasn't so much the air conditioning as the overall "attitude" about the situation that killed the place for me. The next time I would tend to stay somewhere like the Four Seasons..not as close to the train station, but perhaps offering better service.

hello dovima,

even though I cn't give you direct advice on a Hamburg hotel I'd suggest you use the Hotel Reservation Service HRS.
Their website www.hrs.de gives you a scroll-down menu where it says 25 Sprachen (25 languages) including US English.

Enjoy you stay! Kascha