Holiday Inn – Hamburg – HafenCity by IHG

Hotel Description

You know what really struck me about the Holiday Inn in HafenCity? It’s actually one of those rare hotel experiences where the location does half the work for you. I mean, you’re literally in Hamburg’s newest district – this whole area used to be industrial dockland, and now it’s this sleek waterfront neighborhood that honestly feels more like Copenhagen than traditional Germany. The hotel sits right in the thick of it, so when you step outside, you’re immediately walking along these modern promenades with the Elbe River right there.

The thing about HafenCity is that it’s still got that “new neighborhood” energy – you’ll see locals jogging along the waterfront in the morning, and there’s this great mix of glass office buildings and residential towers that somehow doesn’t feel sterile. From the hotel, you can easily walk to the Elbphilharmonie (that crazy wave-shaped concert hall everyone photographs), and honestly, seeing it lit up at night from your room is pretty spectacular if you snag a river-facing window. The Speicherstadt – those red-brick warehouse buildings that are UNESCO listed – is basically next door, which means you’re walking distance from some genuinely atmospheric cafes and the Miniatur Wunderland if you’re into that sort of thing.

What I really appreciated was how the hotel feels properly integrated into the neighborhood rather than just dropped there. The staff actually knows the area – they’ll tell you about the weekend market at the Großneumarkt or point you toward Deichstraße for dinner instead of just highlighting the tourist spots. The 8.6 rating makes sense because it’s that sweet spot of reliable comfort without trying too hard to be fancy. I mean, it’s still a Holiday Inn, so you know what you’re getting in terms of consistent service and decent breakfast, but there’s something about being in this part of Hamburg that elevates the whole experience. The U-Bahn connection is solid too – you can get to the Hauptbahnhof in about ten minutes, which means day trips to Lübeck or even quick runs into the St. Pauli area for nightlife are totally doable. Just don’t expect the neighborhood to be buzzing late at night – HafenCity definitely quiets down after business hours, which is either perfect for good sleep or slightly boring depending on what you’re after.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $182. Standard Room with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $182. Standard Queen Room with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $188. Queen Room – Non-Smoking with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $189. Standard Twin Room with 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $216. Standard Queen Room with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $316. Queen Suite with 1 sofa bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Keith from United Kingdom – 17 May 2025 (9/10)

  Fantastic staff – at reception, breakfast and bar. Reception staff (Jerome) really helpful with printing and scanning documents for some emergency correspondence, also lady at Reception who helped dry out a backpack which had a water spillage and needed dried before next day. Breakfast options very extensive. Very quiet location, about 5 mins walk to nearest metro station and 15-20 mins walk to central Hamburg. Everything about this hotel just works as it should 🙂

• Katya from Malta – 8 May 2025 (9/10)

  Excellent hotel very modern and clean and staff extremely nice and helpful
  
  What could be improved: All good

• Deanne from Australia – 4 May 2025 (9/10)

  Brilliant position right near Hafencity underground train station – just a few stops to the main central station. About a hundred metres from a big modern shopping centre and a great selection of restaurants. We walked all over the city very easily. Not far from Miniature Wonderland and the harbour. Very clean and comfortable room. We wanted to extend our stay but the hotel was fully booked so it wasn't possible.
  
  What could be improved: You would have to be very unreasonable to find fault with this hotel.

• Julie from Australia – 5 April 2025 (9/10)

  What could be improved: I have no idea what facilities were on offer. I didn’t find anything in the room to tell me

• Bethany from United Kingdom – 30 March 2025 (9/10)

  Great location, 5 minutes walk from a train station, and easy walk into the centre of the city
  
  What could be improved: n/a

• Vanessa from Switzerland – 23 March 2025 (9/10)

  Very nice lobby
  Friendly staff
  Excellent breakfast

• Gaile from United Kingdom – 13 March 2025 (8/10)

  Close to museums and particularly Miniatur Wunderland
  
  What could be improved: Pictures in room – odd

• Mark from Germany – 10 March 2025 (9/10)

  Alles Tipp Topp.
  
  What could be improved: –

• Bogdan from Romania – 9 March 2025 (9/10)

  Very nice hotel in a nice area. The beds were very confortable having both soft and hard pillows for each person.
  The bar and restaurant are also good if you need a bite even if you can find amazing places close to the hotel.
  The staff was very nice and supportive even when my debit card was not working at the start of my stay.

• John from United Kingdom – 19 February 2025 (9/10)

  Excellent location, very close to our offices. Lovely staff, very attentive and polite.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing really, all great.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities