Review: Gewandhaus Dresden, Marriott Autograph Collection

Not to stir the pot (so you can be sure I'm about to stir the pot), but Germany has an infection rate that is an order of magnitude less than the US. It's a disease that is eminently treatable and more survivable than the flu for all but the oldest and sickest. It's likely that the coronavirus is going to be endemic in the population from here on out--even with a vaccine. At what point (and I don't mean this rhetorically) can we stop with masks and hand sanitizer and the like (which is to say nothing about the fact that it's likely that neither masks nor hand sanitizer are really very effective). I might not say that about Wisconsin, but I'd feel pretty darn safe in Germany as long as I remained basically distanced.

Also, Dresden is a very nice city. I think it's one of the nicer places to visit in Germany--especially their Christmas Market (which is only running at about half this year).

I would heavily recommend the hotel indigo in Dresden. Stayed there last year and got upgraded to the junior suite which was well furnished in a mid century modern vibe. My go to when I go back

Thats a cool picture of the Frauenkirche showing the remaining original side and the reconstruction.

First: You have to make reservations for breakfast because of corona. So it doesn't get too crowded. That's why they can have the buffet.
Second: Every state can make their own rules, and they vary very much. Some need to have gloves, some masks, some nothing. It very much depends on where you are.
Third: Yes, the service at this hotel was always underwhelming. Don't know why. Was there twice and never impressed by the people working there.
Fourth: you can be happy, that you were allowed to stay because until recently people from hotspots were not in Saxony and you live in Berlin currently. 😉

I had a nice stay at the Hilton Dresden. It was, like you did, a quick trip from Berlin to check it out for a couple of days. I had a good redemption at the Hilton (pre-Rona). Good breakfast included in the rate. It was a nice stay. I didn't get upgraded to the executive floor.

Its a typical modern Hilton corporate design. Modern and comfortable. But not as interesting as the Gewandhaus. I love that atrium design. Thanks for sharing it.

Great review. I was in Dresden last year, but stayed in the Westin Bellevue on the other side of the Elbe. I think since then it left Marriott. The lobby was nice but the rooms were quite outdated, but they were doing lots of renovations while I was there. One question. Since Berlin is a Risikogebiet did you have to provide any negative COVID-19 Test at check-in? I know they are doing this in Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria but I am guessing not in Sachsen

More content like this please!!!

With hotels half full and 1 million people flying Sunday, clearly many people are traveling right now - I like the fact you are still posting hotel reviews and I would like to see a lot more reviews and updates from travel blogs in the current experience as I expect to do some travel over the next few months

Thanks for the nice review, really appreciated!

Yes, I observe very different approaches to breakfast, from a "doggy bag" delivered at the reception over a la carte table service, served buffet, only hot items served/rest self-serve until the full self-service buffet, like this one. I really prefer if there are some protection measures, but really hate the cheap doggy bag ...

"especially by German standards"
I don't get this. Maybe there is a misunderstanding from my side as German breakfasts tend to be much better than breakfasts in other countries (especially the US).

Breakfast at Gewandhaus is mediocre considering the class of the hotel.

I stayed there for like 100 euro a couple of months ago (suite upgrade) and was also underwhelmed by the service.
I liked the Hilton much more and considering value for the money I'd go for the courtyard.

I don't think that you can see everything within a day. I think you just walked around old town and that's it. Not the other side of Elbe, not the new town, and surely not all the amazing stuff around Dresden like Moritzburg and all the other palaces and enormous castles.
There is no place known to me which is as rich in culture, classical architecture, hip areas and nature as Dresden area.

I agree with derreisende. There's much more to Dresden than Old Town. While very nicely done, the city's real character lies in other, less touristy areas such as New Town or near Blaue Wunder. The close proximity to Sächsische Schweiz (you can take the S-Bahn there) would also make for a very nice day trip next time you're there.

The second hotel room view picture is actually city hall btw, though I totally agree it's an underwhelming view nonetheless 😉

Don’t miss Potsdam and palaces along the way.
Kempinski Dresden is fabulous!!!

Thank You for the review ! My daughter lives 1.5 hours from Dresden, so will be treating her to a stay here ! And Maybe myself when I return .

Susan

You continue to fail to understand how Marriott operates. This hotel is NOT managed by Marriott. Just like a few weeks ago when you claimed the 100 or whatever hotels leaving Marriott for Sonesta were managed or operated by Marriott. Marriott does NOT manage the vast majority of its hotels across all brands in North America. It manages a majority of its Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott branded properties internationally along with a much smaller number of Renaissance or Marriott properties. I presume it inherited management for some Sheratons, Westins and St. Regis properties internationally.

What's the fuss about buffets? It's been confirmed months ago that Covid is not foodborne and the spread via contaminned surfaces is also extemely rare.

Regarding Covid rules in general, I highly recommend taking a trip to Sweden while you're in Germany, to get a different perspective. Despite their messy start in the spring, they now report one of lowest numbers of new cases per capita in the EU (and while there is some increase, it's much slower than in most EU states), while also maintaining very high level of normalcy. I'm currently in Stockholm and it really changed my view about the whole thing.

I spend much of my time travelling within Europe. One of the more elegant breakfast buffets I enjoyed was at the hotel Nicolaus in Bari (previously a Sheraton). The buffet was always a combination of elegance, sanitary precautions and individual service. Despite unclear expectations, southern Italy has always been very careful with sanitary conditions.
I really am uncomfortable with Jams and Jellies provided in bulk buffet dishes, as is common in Germany. there is often no sneeze guard and i wonder whether the same portion is reused.

My litmus test of buffet service is the mode and caliber of jams offered. Some Hotels use individual glass bottles, some use bulk plates and some reserve the individual bottles for lounge guests only.

@ Nate nate:
You hit the nail on the head. One of the really fascinating things about Dresden is how much of it was destroyed in WW2 and how much of was rebuilt incorporating what survived. The blackened exteriors show that. Surprised Ben didn't mention that aspect about the buildings

The Residenz (across from the Kempinski which itself was rebuilt) is another great example.

Gewandhaus is cheap, but the service is crap, as you said.
Taschenbergpalais Kempinski is far better and also Hilton Dresden is an overall better choice than Gewandhaus with a nice lounge.

You say the city was “heavily bombed”; many would go rather further and characterise it as the victim of a completely unnecessary, entirely vindictive attack on a defenceless civilian population of zero military significance, essentially constituting a war crime...

I stayed at the Hilton Dresden and it looked way better than the Gewandhaus. Give the Hilton a try with direct room views to the Frauenkirche. For the same price you get better look and feel. Next trip Leipzig?

While I fully recognise the risk and danger of both the virus and the pandemic, I appreciate that in Germany areas with little to no infections (if your stay was a a couple of days back) try to be flexible and allow more freedom as it raises compliance and understanding for stricter measures when necessary. Forcing everyone to comply with strict measures is absolutely necessary with higher infection rates like the ones we are facing now but should not be followed through blindly if not required.

@Samo

Sweden had higher deaths and per capita infections than many of it’s neighbors who had stricter lockdowns and measures. It’s economy also shrank and a higher rate that many of it’s less open neighbors as well.

@Paolo: While this may be true, it should be noted the same rationale is employed by German Neonazis to come to Dresden for one of their largest demonstrations in Germany every year, commemorating German victims of the war. Dresden counters this with wide protests.

It's a thin line...

Great review, thank you!
BTW, the best place to stay in Dresden is clearly the Kempinski Taschenberg.

@Aaron - Read my post again. I specifically wrote "despite their messy start in the spring". Yes, their performance half a year ago wasn't too good due to certain specific mistakes (particularly care homes), that is acknowledged by everyone. However right now, they are one of the best performing EU states. Low number of new cases, low growth rate, low number of new deaths. This has been the case for several months now.

As I said, I'm here right now. Seeing how little is needed to achieve great results is an eye-opening experience.

Please stop with the buffet covid complaints. There is no evidence of covid spread via food and even the contact transfer chance is extremely low, as opposed to what people thought at the beginning. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a buffet as long as there arent to many people at the same time (which they achieved with the reservation system) and the room is freshly aired every now and then.

@Alex
Thanks for the information; I didn’t know that. It’s horrifying to think they’re essentially ‘dancing on graves’ in such a manner.

Very nice hotel. Thanks for dropping the review. Love German breakfasts, hate their bedroom comforters. I always sweat to death under those things, even in the coldest of rooms. Though I suspect it makes housekeeping a bit easier, not having multiple layers to remove and replace on the beds.

I've also stayed at the INNSIDE Dresden, right next to the Frauenkirche. It looked exactly like the pictures you showed of the Gewandhaus, and I think it's about 75% the price (but no Bonvoy points or rewards reservations). It's also very conveniently located near the S-Bahn stop, so very easy from the Hauptbahnhof.

Coming from Dresden, I’d not recommend the Gewandhaus to anyone. With a comparable price and if you can book through Virtuoso then the best hotel in town is the Kempinski. It’s luxuriously charming and the staffs will go above and beyond.

As someone who grew up in Dresden and moved to Stuttgart two months ago, I can confirm that people don’t think COVID is a thing in saxony. To be fair, two months ago there were only 60 active cases with fairly good testing but the precautions are still nothing compared to Stuttgart.
As someone who grew up in Dresden, I can also confirm what some others have said: you can really see Altstadt in a few days but you shouldn’t miss the rest of the city and the surrounding area.

Hey AW, care to revisit or revise your comments now?

Peace out.

The Gewandhaus is nice, but I would rather stay at the NH or better still, the QF Hotel or Altes Dresden serviced apartments, both of which directly overlook the Frauenkirche. Dresden actually has more than enough to keep you occupied for several days, especially if you are there during the (non-Covid) Christmas season. I no longer stay in Marriott properties due to their absolute refusal to provide room safes. No, they are no guarantee of protection for valuables, but they help deter theft. Moreover, I know people who have had insurance claims denied because the valuables stolen from their room weren't in a hotel safe. The insurers didn't care that the room didn't actually have a safe. The last time I stayed in a Marriott property, the hotel "safe" for guests was a bunch of stacked tiny wire baskets kept near the check-in area that could easily be broken into. No thanks.

I am now staying at the gewandhaus and came across your review. I’ve stayed at the kempinski before, and thou a bit outdated the service was very good.