Holiday Inn – the niu, Yen Hamburg City by IHG

Hotel Description

So I’ve stayed at this Holiday Inn – the niu, Yen in Hamburg a couple times now, and honestly? It’s one of those places that surprised me in the best way. You know how chain hotels can feel pretty cookie-cutter, but this one actually has some personality to it. The whole “niu” concept is Holiday Inn’s way of doing boutique-style properties, and they’ve nailed it here with this Asian-inspired theme that doesn’t feel gimmicky or over the top.

The location is what really sold me though – you’re right in the thick of Hamburg city center, which means you can actually walk to most of the good stuff instead of dealing with the U-Bahn every time you want to grab dinner. I mean, the St. Pauli district is close enough that you’ll hear some street noise on weekend nights (nothing crazy, just the usual city buzz), but that also means you’re walking distance from the Reeperbahn if that’s your scene, or the fish market on Sunday mornings if you’re more into the local culture thing. What I really appreciated was how easy it was to get oriented – step out the front door and you just feel like you’re in Hamburg, not in some hotel bubble that could be anywhere.

The rooms themselves are pretty smart actually. They’ve got this clean, minimalist vibe with little Japanese touches that work better than you’d expect – nothing too themed out, just thoughtful design choices that make the space feel bigger than it probably is. The beds are solid (I’m picky about mattresses) and the shower pressure is actually decent, which honestly can make or break a stay for me. Check-in was smooth both times, and the front desk staff seem to know the neighborhood well enough to give you real recommendations, not just the tourist trap suggestions. The 8.2 rating feels about right – it’s not going to blow you away, but for a 3-star property in this part of the city, you’re getting way more value than you’d expect. I’d definitely book it again, especially if you want to be in the center of things without paying those fancy hotel prices.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $126. Standard Room with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $126. Standard Queen Room with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Vincent from France – 2 May 2025 (9/10)

  Staff was really nice
  
  What could be improved: Breakfast was expensive

• Filip from North Macedonia – 30 March 2025 (9/10)

  Nice Hotel, clean, near hbf

• Anushree from Netherlands – 24 March 2025 (8/10)

  The room was very clean although it is small for the price you pay. We even had a main road facing window door that had grills for safety. It was nice to open it for ventilation. I really liked the bathroom walls as they had some interesting facts/information written down for tourists. We took the recommendations as it was out first time in Hamburg as we were here for leisure. The elevators and other common areas on ground floor had great aesthetics too. The bed linens were of very comfortable fabric.
  
  What could be improved: 1) Wifi has open access which is very insecure. Please put password to it atleast.
  2) Electric kettle and disposable slippers were not provided in the room.
  3) Dustbins don't have plastic bags in it so we had to throw things directly inside which was weird for us.
  4) We couldn't call at the reception as there is no landline provided in the room. We didn't go to the reception to ask for these missing items as we were very tired.

• Mehter from Turkey – 2 March 2025 (7/10)

  Not so far from the center, pretty quiet street, very friendly staff, small but nice room, very good bed and pillows, big bathroom, nicely clean.

• Delphine from Switzerland – 15 February 2025 (8/10)

  The room was really comfortable with everything we needed. In addition to this, the hotel has a really pleasing aesthetic!
  
  What could be improved: The location -not too far from the train station – was practical, but the quarter is not very welcoming.

• Punnee from Thailand – 22 January 2025 (9/10)

  The hotel looks very new and have decent facilities.
  
  What could be improved: N/a

• Людмила from Bulgaria – 18 December 2024 (7/10)

  good breakfast, clean rooms, good location of the hotel, a 5-minute walk from the metro station, friendly staff.
  
  What could be improved: I didn't like the attitude of one of the receptionist girls towards her job. Our plane arrived in Hamburg early, but according to the rules, it was possible to check in after 15.00. We called the hotel beforehand and asked if it was possible to leave our luggage at the hotel. The answer was "No." We had to carry out the program of the visit with our luggage all day. But when we came to the hotel in the evening to check in, there was a luggage storage room next to the reception desk. We felt cheated.

• Aran from Ireland – 9 December 2024 (8/10)

  Clean and modern
  
  What could be improved: No tea making facilities in room

• Hugh from United Kingdom – 5 December 2024 (9/10)

  Good – scrambled eggs overcooked

• Mario from Canada – 30 October 2024 (9/10)

  What could be improved: Any english channel on tv

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities