The Wyndham Stralsund Hansedom on the outskirts of Stralsund on Germany’s Eastern seaboard has seen better days: you get large, but outdated rooms and have to put up with poor service. The connected water world and wellness area, Hansedom, is the main attraction, but costs extra and can’t make up for the short comings of the hotel. There are better places to spend your vacation near the sea, but it can be great value through Wyndham Rewards promotions – find out if it could work for you!
Location: The Wyndham Stralsund Hansedom is located outside the city in a commercial district, next to the leisure bath Hansedom and a small mall. The connection to the Hansedom with its lap pool, fun pools and large wellness area is the main attraction here. There are plenty of stores, coffee shops and a grocery store in the mall for all those necessities. The ride into the beautiful old town of Stralsund is 10-15 minutes.
I visited this hotel on a road trip along the Eastern seaboard of Germany and the location was fine – with a car or if the Hansedom is your main reason for visiting. If you don’t have a car and want to see the city, this is a poor location and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Service: The service was the worst I’ve experienced in a long time and an example why people speak of the “customer service desert” Germany – for the utter lack of service!
At check-in there was a short wait. Once it was my turn, I gave the agent my name and credit card and he started to look up my reservation and – instead of taking my credit card, instructed me to put in a specific place on the counter. As a German myself, I know that many Germans have “their way” of doing things and I thought it was kinda funny… I eventually received my room assignment and key. I asked about WiFi internet and received a user-id and password, as well as information about the Hansedom Waterworld.
At a later time, I wanted to utilize the Hansedom and picked up the necessary bracelet and extra towels and bathrobe. The agent’s “way” stopped being funny when he ordered me to come around the counter to give it to me, rather than handing it to me on my side of the (half-round) counter. If you expect your guests to the work for you, you probably shouldn’t be in customer service.
At check-out, I found out about the fees for parking and the Hansedom, neither of which are identified on the website at the time of booking or at check-in. The hotel advertises the parking and the Hansedom is the main attraction, yet visiting it is only included in some of the rates available, which is not clearly described.
Housekeeping did a good job and had cleaned the room thoroughly, with everything in good working order.
Room: I had booked a Business Double room and that’s what I got. It’s held in a maritime theme, with blue carpets, yellow walls and a red & white lighthouse-cabinet! The double bed had two separate platforms, typical for Germany, but a single mattress topper, as well as two separate, narrow comforters and two small pillows. The bed and pillows were pretty uncomfortable. Next to the bed are two small night stands and ship-style lamps, as well as a ship picture, continuing that maritime theme.
On the opposite side of the large room are a small sofa, small table and a wicker chair. The sofa was old and as uncomfortable as the bed. The lighthouse holds a small, maybe 19in TV, you could barely see anything from the sofa or bed.
The main bathroom is large and holds a single sink in the corner, with both walls covered in mirrors. On the opposite wall is a deep soaking tub with a shower mounted above it and a partial, movable glass wall. The toilet was in a separate room next door, with another small sink. All of it is held in white tiles with yellow accents. Toiletries are provided in dispensers and the towels are of good quality. Everything was in good working order.
The free WiFi internet offered an average speed of 5.1Mbps, but was so slow at times that it was unusable – neither streaming movies nor getting any work done was feasible during my stay.
While my room was in good working order, it showed signs of wear & tear and was noticeably old and well overdue for a renovation.
Amenities: The hotel has a restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner, but I didn’t try it out. The hotel also has a pool and fitness area that is (supposedly) available for free.
I utilized the Hansedom which you can access directly from the hotel, in your bathrobe if you want, with an electronic bracelet issued by the hotel. As I found out, there is a charge for it, depending on the rate you booked, so make sure ahead of time whether it’s included or not. The Hansedom is an indoor/outdoor water world with lots of different pools to swim or play, including a wave pool and waterfall and several whirlpools. For water sports, there are a 25m pool as well as 1, 3 and 5m dive boards. The connected wellness area offers 10 different dry saunas, steam rooms and baths to relax. The Hansedom offers a lot and is a great place to spend a rainy or cold day, especailly with kids, but also shows its age and could use a renovation.
The hotel parking costs $7/day, but there is free parking near the Hansedom, a short walk away.
Value & Rewards: I booked the Wyndham Stralsund Hansedom at a rate of $86/night without breakfast. The outdated rooms, poor service and extra charges made that poor value. I earned a total of $85 in Wyndham Rewards points, thanks to a Wyndham promotion making it a very good deal for my one night. You can find current rates at the Wyndham here and alternative hotels in Stralsund here!
Bottomline: You get a large room that’s old, but well maintained right next to the Hansedom with it’s huge facilities. The poor service, outdated rooms and tacky maritime decor would stop me from returning. But if you can find a good deal that includes access to the Hansedom and travel by car, this might work well for a family.