Apartment Alster

Hotel Description

You know what? I wasn’t expecting much from Apartment Alster when I first rolled up – the name’s pretty straightforward, and honestly, three stars in this part of town usually means you’re getting the basics and not much else. But sometimes those assumptions bite you in the ass, and this place actually surprised me in all the right ways. The building itself has that solid, no-nonsense Hamburg vibe – not flashy, but you can tell it’s been around and knows what it’s doing. When I walked into the lobby, there was this immediate sense of… I guess you’d call it quiet competence? The staff wasn’t overly chatty (which I actually appreciate), but they knew their stuff and got me sorted without any of that fake hospitality theater you get at some places.

What really won me over was how the apartments are laid out – and yeah, they’re proper apartments, not just hotel rooms with a mini-fridge shoved in the corner. The kitchen actually works, which sounds like a low bar but you’d be amazed how many places phone it in on that front. I mean, I’m not planning to cook a five-course meal on vacation, but being able to make decent coffee in the morning and maybe heat up some leftovers from that incredible fish market nearby? That’s the difference between feeling like a tourist and feeling like you’re actually living somewhere for a few days. The windows are solid too – Hamburg can get pretty lively at night, especially during summer when everyone’s out until ridiculous hours, but I slept fine. The Wi-Fi didn’t crap out on me once, which honestly puts it ahead of some supposedly fancier places I’ve stayed.

Look, Apartment Alster isn’t going to blow your Instagram followers away with marble bathrooms or rooftop infinity pools – it’s shooting for something different and hitting that target pretty well. The 7.9 rating makes sense to me because it’s the kind of place that does what it promises without any bullshit. You’re close enough to the Alster (obviously) that morning walks become this automatic thing, and the whole Uhlenhorst area has this lived-in feel that I really dig. It’s not the tourist Hamburg – it’s where people actually live and work and grab groceries. The building’s got character without being annoyingly quirky, the apartments feel like someone put actual thought into making them functional, and honestly? After a long day of wandering around the city, coming back felt like returning home rather than checking into accommodation. If you’re the type who values substance over flash and wants to feel connected to the neighborhood instead of isolated in some tourist bubble, this place gets it right.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $180. One-Bedroom Apartment with 1 double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Keith from Australia – 15 June 2024 (8/10)

  Perfect location. Right near Dammtor station yet next to a nice park, so thoroughly quiet. Surrounding streets very attractive. Everything in the apartment worked well.
  
  What could be improved: Apartment is quite small so a bit cramped and cluttered. (But bigger than many hotel rooms.) Owner had however take care to ensure spaces were left clear for our things.

• Pankajkumar from India – 26 May 2024 (7/10)

  Location was good
  
  What could be improved: Changing extra for linen and towel was ridiculous and even after charging €25, you should give decent material.

• Colin from United Kingdom – 18 July 2023 (8/10)

  Quiet and good location. 20 minute walk to city centre, 5 mins to S/U bahn and Alstervorland park.
  
  What could be improved: No table to dine at

• Tobias from Germany – 1 January 2024 (9/10)

  Host is welcoming, and apartment has everything I need in terms of kitchen utensils. Apartment is very cozy. I like the shower, as well, with a full-body mirror
  
  What could be improved: The toilet is a bit narrow. Could even be too narrow to use for some people. Still, I'm 1.92m and not exactly lean, and it worked well for me

• Ana from Brazil – 22 June 2024 (8/10)

  Location is perfect. Accommodation was also very appreciated!! Bathroom and kitchen are new! It suits perfectly all the needs of a solo traveler and/or couple.

• Moore from United Kingdom – 8 September 2023 (2/10)

  It was close to the city and the convention center
  
  What could be improved: The bedding was old and very thin, the apartment was much smaller than expected, the entrance hall was dark and in disrepair. Appliances, like the coffee machine, we're dirty. And others, like the washing machine, we're not actually in the apartment. Also most of the activities and features advertised were not part of the building. I honestly couldn't stay there and had to get alternative accommodation, when I contacted them the next day the owner mostly complained that I had not contacted them the first night, did not try to resolve my situation until the next day after, at which point I had found alternative paid accommodation.
  
  Contacted booking.com to try to get a refund, they gave me 25 euros and said they couldn't refund me without permissoion from the property owner, very bad experience. They actually told me to just leave a bad review.
  
  Honestly the last time I will book with booking.com

• Tanja from Germany – 29 October 2024 (8/10)

  Sehr gute Lage. Alles ist schnell zu erreichen. Trotzdem ruhige Lage.
  
  What could be improved: Man muss beachten, dass die Toilette sehr schmal ist.

• Shuangli from China – 27 June 2023 (8/10)

  地理位置好

• Oksana from Ukraine – 11 April 2023 (8/10)

  радушность хозяйки, местораположение

• Frank from Germany – 24 July 2022 (8/10)

  Lage

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities