SmarterTravel Spotlight: Courtyard Marriott Hamburg City, Germany

Editor Shannon McMahon is always planning her next trip and often writing in her travel journal. Follow her on Twitter @shanmcmahon_ and on Instagram @shanmcmahon.

Shannon joined SmarterTravel in 2015. A former news reporter, she's lived in the south of Spain, spotted elephants in Sri Lanka, gone spelunking in the Caribbean, hiked Jordan's Petra Basin, interviewed Sao Paulo's Michelin-Star chefs, and explored China via bullet train. Travel trends, news oddities, and her visits to up-and-coming destinations are some of her favorite things to write about.

Her stories have also appeared online on USA Today, The Sun, Huffington Post, Business Insider, blog.TripAdvisor.com, Boston.com, and more. Her educational background is in journalism, art history, gender studies, Spanish, and film. She's been quoted as an expert travel source by CNBC, People.com, MarketWatch, The Washington Post, USA Today, and more.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Plenty of extra thick hair elastics. They tame my frizzy curls and come in handy in a surprising number of packing and hotel dilemmas."

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Email Shannon at smcmahon@smartertravel.com.

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It’s not often that a global hotel chain surprises guests with thoughtful touches that champion local culture. But that’s exactly what you get at many of Courtyard Marriott’s redesigned properties, including the brand-new Courtyard Marriott Hamburg City.

Located in the heart of the northern port city of Hamburg, the property goes local in every aspect—from décor by local artists and overall sleek design that echoes the city’s industrial past, to the restaurant’s seafood-focused menu and tartar bar, and the on-site Finnish sauna. Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest city and a business and culture hub, is well represented in the offerings at the property.

And the Courtyard Marriott Hamburg City is part of a greater trend, as Courtyard is creating more stylish and locally focused hotels that will have you feeling like you booked with a pricier boutique hotel rather than with an American brand you might be loyal to. If you’re a frequent traveler for business, pleasure, or both, it’s smart to have a go-to hotel brand that’s virtually everywhere. And if a whopping 1,100 properties in over 50 countries across the globe sounds like enough to choose from, Courtyard Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program is worth considering.

New Courtyard Marriott Hotels like this one are opening across the globe in 2020, including locations in Paris (France), Inverness (U.K.), Tempere (Finland), Reykjavik (Iceland), London and Glasgow (U.K.), Szczecin (Poland), Munich (Germany), Batumi (Georgia), Fribourg (Switzerland), Yerevan (Armenia), Sochi (Russia), and Skopje (Macedonia).

Courtyard Marriott Hamburg City: The Location

The Courtyard Marriott Hamburg City is located just east of the historic city center in the hip Saint George area. It’s walking distance to Hamburg’s Central Train Station (Hauptbahnhof) and steps from underground stations on both the U-bahn and S-bahn lines, which access the main parts of the city and the airport for cheap (or free with the purchase of a Hamburg Welcome Card).

The property itself is right in the thick of some of the city’s best bars and restaurants, most notably the Turkish and Middle Eastern dining offerings modern German cities have become synonymous with. Hamburg’s Old Port and tourist-addled Reeperbahn (red-light) district are on the opposite side of the city—but still just a short train ride away on the underground. Nearby activities include the Kunsthalle art museum, Markthalle Hamburg music venue, Chocoversum chocolate museum, St. Peter’s Church, and Hamburg Town Hall. Slightly farther are the city center’s canals and romantic Speicherstadt, or warehouse district, a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates back to the 1880s and is rife with scenic photo opportunities.

The Rooms

Thanks to the new construction of this huge hotel, rooms are relatively spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows and large bathrooms with walk-in showers. Most of the 273 rooms are similar, with only a few being suites that come with pull-out couches—although Queen rooms also have a small sofa bed. Since Courtyard hotels are business-focused, there is a desk and small seating area in each option. The hotel also has eight ground-floor conference rooms.

Dining

Bockmann’s, the on-site restaurant, is named for the street it’s on in an effort to bring locals in. Its menu is seasonal with a seafood focus—you are in coastal Germany, after all—including a tartar bar with options like salmon and local beef that you can top with everything from fresh vegetables to miso-infused nut butters. Colorful plates range from squash-pastry starters and fried whole local fish to tomahawk steak imported from award-winning cattle farms in New Zealand.

The lobby-adjacent restaurant bar offers an inventive cocktail list, plus German wines and beers that draw visitors and locals alike late into the night. Buffet-style breakfast is also staged in Bockmann’s every morning, and includes continental options as well as hot options like eggs and sausages.

Amenities

Like all Courtyard Marriott properties, the hotel has an in-lobby market for drinks and grab-and go snacks. The cozy lobby includes work areas like booths, couches, and group seating areas with charging outlets so business travelers can plug in between meetings or just hang out and enjoy a coffee. The Finnish spa at the fitness center is a hidden gem that’s open to all guests in the afternoons, perfect for a relaxing steam or a post-workout sweat. The property is also pet-friendly.

Price and Where to Book

Off-season rates start as low as $100 per night on third-party sites like TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company), but booking direct with Marriott will get you Bonvoy points and access to deals like free breakfast or discounts for AAA or military members.

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SmarterTravel’s Shannon McMahon writes about all things travel, and stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Hamburg City as a guest of the property for the hotel opening. Follow her adventures on Instagram @shanmcmahon.

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