A couple of years ago Hyatt added the Lindner Hotels portfolio to its offerings, bringing more than 30 hotels and 15 new markets in Germany and Central and Eastern Europe. Most were added to the JdV brand, and they don’t get nearly as much attention as flagship hotels like Park Hyatt Vienna or Paris. But a reader brought his recent stay at three of these hotels to my attention, and they fit a really great use case for family travel. I’m pleased to share his trip report on these 3 Lindner hotels.

Over the course of 23 years writing this blog, I’ve averaged less than one guest post per year. Everything else is written entirely by me. I have no staff.

Of those handful of guest contributions, a plurality have been offered by long-time reader Doug Hess. He’s had a number of interesting trip reports to share, from flying African low cost carrier fly540 to Air Tanzania’s Airbus A220 and Air Mauritius business class. He also contributed a review of Hyatt’s Alila Fort Bisghangarh in India.

Doug Hess offers his thinking in booking these 3 Lindner properties,

For our New Year vacation this year, our family decided to visit Vienna, Bratislava, and Prague. My wife loves Christmas markets, and these cities have much to offer in terms of history and culture, so they seemed like a great fit.

Hotels in Europe can be a challenge for families, as most rooms feature only one king or two twin beds. Given the points needed at many of the city-center properties, the prospect of two rooms for more than a week can quickly drain the points bank. While searching for our trip, however, I stumbled upon several Lindner hotels, which only joined the World of Hyatt program about 18 months ago.

As a Globalist, Hyatt is my go-to program, but in many European cities, their properties are luxury properties with very high redemption rates. The Lindner properties, on the other hand, were in Category 1, pricing at only 6,500 points/night over the holidays. The prospect of having two rooms for 13k/night sounded great, but I did not know what to expect. Overall, we were quite pleased with all three properties. Last month, Lindner Hotels filed for bankruptcy, so the chain’s future is uncertain. But for the time being, they are a great use of Hyatt points.

Here are his reports.

Lindner Bratislava

Location:

We decided to make a quick side trip to Bratislava for two nights since it is so close to Vienna and we had never been. We arrived by train from Vienna and took a Bolt XL (€28) to the hotel. It is located just north of the city center, in a large complex that also houses a mall. The old city is about a 35-minute walk from the hotel, although it was quite cold and windy, so we elected to take the 8-minute Bolt ride to and from the Old City.

Bratislava is quite small but has a quaint old city with a nice Christmas market, a few pretty churches, and some good local food. There is also a historic castle that sits on a hill overlooking the river, but the bad weather caused us to skip it. I suspect that one would quickly run out of things to do on a longer stay, but the city is well worth a day or two.

Check-in:

At check-in, I was recognized as a Globalist and informed that our rooms had been upgraded to “deluxe rooms.” The next day was December 31, and we were given information about a New Year’s Eve party at the rooftop bar. It was €40/pp and included champagne, traditional cabbage soup, and lots of dancing, but we elected to pass. We were also informed that breakfast would be included as a Globalist, and they also extended this benefit to the kids’ room.

Rooms:

We were assigned rooms on the 8th floor. Although they were called “deluxe rooms,” the size and layout would be considered a mini-suite at most hotels.

Our room featured a king bed with a separate living room that had a couch, a sitting chair, and a work desk and chair. There was an open closet area that also housed the coffee station. The TV was mounted into the dividing wall such that it could turn toward the bedroom or living room.

The kids’ room was similar but with a slightly different layout, given the odd shape of the building. Their room was set up with two single beds, and the couch was pulled out to make a third.

Despite how large the room was, the bathroom was quite small. It featured a single vanity, a small water closet, and a tub/shower combo with the dreaded half-glass.

I will never understand why Europeans enjoy getting water all over the bathroom every time they shower. Full-size toiletries by Pharmacopia were provided. Our view was mostly of nearby apartment buildings and was limited by the fog on our short stay.

Property:

The property features a restaurant on the 3rd floor, which serves breakfast and dinner. There is also a rooftop bar open most nights until midnight. The hotel is connected to the mall and has a partnership with a gym inside the mall for their guests to use. Unfortunately for us, the mall closed early on December 31 and was closed all day on January 1, so I was unable to visit the fitness center. The positive is that it is likely better equipped than most hotel gyms, but the negative is certainly the limitation of mall hours.

Breakfast:

Breakfast was available from 6:30am to 10:30am at the hotel’s 3rd-floor restaurant. It was a typical breakfast buffet with yogurt, fruit, cold cuts, sausage, bacon, eggs, and a variety of breads and juices. Mediocre coffee was available in the automatic espresso machines, and omelets were available to order. While not as good as the Vienna location, it was adequate for the two mornings we had breakfast at the hotel, and we appreciated my Globalist benefit being extended to the entire family.

Conclusion:

Of the three Lindner properties we visited, this one most felt like a limited-service property. In many ways, it had the vibe of a newer Hyatt Place with an slightly upgraded breakfast. The large rooms were a definite plus and had the mall been open, it would have added to the convenience of the location. Overall, we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.

Lindner Prague

Lindner Prague Location:

We arrived via train from Bratislava in the late afternoon and took an Uber XL to the hotel. The 25-minute trip cost $45. Public transit would have been time-consuming and required a transfer from train to tram with our luggage.

The hotel sits up the hill from the river across from the main city center. Although the property has “Prague Castle” in the name, it is actually part of the monastery property adjacent to the Castle complex. Unlike the other two Lindner properties we visited, this one is in a historic building that once served as the horse stables and still retains many of the original architectural elements.

Immediately outside the hotel is the monastery, brewery, and church, which are well worth a visit. The Prague Castle complex is a ten-minute walk. The #22 tram stops right outside the hotel and offers easy access to the city center in about 20 minutes. You can also take the 35-minute walk down the mountain through an enormous and beautiful park.

Check-in:

There was no wait to check in. We were greeted, recognized as Globalist, and informed that our rooms had been upgraded. We were given a quick overview of the hotel and amenities and offered some restaurant recommendations for dinner.

Rooms:

We were given two rooms on the second floor (“first floor” for my European friends). Although we were informed that they were upgraded rooms, they seemed pretty standard in terms of size and layout.

Our room featured a king bed, a work desk, a chair, a coffee station, and a small TV. The bathroom featured a single vanity, toilet, and tub/shower combo with another terrible half-glass. The room had a back door that exited to a shared balcony overlooking the garden area.

The kids’ room was identical except for the bed layout, which featured two single beds plus a roll-away. Although they were relatively small, the building, furniture, and art all felt much more upscale than the other two Lindner properties.

Property:

Next to the check-in area, the hotel had a lobby bar, which was open until 11pm. Beyond the bar was the restaurant where breakfast was served. Outside was a lovely garden area, ideal for sitting on a nice day. The hotel had a fitness center, although it consisted of a single treadmill, a multi-function weight machine, and a punching bag. Someone looking to do a serious workout would likely be disappointed. Next to the fitness center was a relaxation room and a sauna.

Breakfast:

Breakfast was served in the ground floor restaurant and featured a typical breakfast buffet. There were sausages, eggs, bacon, potatoes, yogurt, cereals, fruit, and a wide selection of breads. There was the same automatic espresso machine producing mediocre cappuccinos, and omelets were available to order. Like the Bratislava location, the breakfast was adequate, and we appreciated that my Globalist breakfast benefit was extended to both rooms.

Conclusion:

Overall, this property felt a step up from the other two Lindner locations we visited on this trip. The historic building made it feel more like a local hotel than a chain. Those wanting to be right in the city center might find the location inconvenient, but for anyone wanting to visit the hilltop attractions, the location will be a plus. Overall, I would definitely recommend this hotel and found it to be an excellent value for the points.

Lindner Vienna

Location:

We arrived at VIE Airport on an Austrian flight from Frankfurt around 2:15pm. We took an Uber XL (€43) for the 20-minute ride to the hotel. It would have been possible to take the train into the city center and then ride a tram to the hotel, but with luggage, the Uber seemed much easier.

The hotel is located adjacent to the property of the Belvedere Palace. This complex houses three large, palatial buildings that once served as the summer home of Prince Eugene. All three now house art collections and can be toured via timed tickets. We toured the Upper Belvedere and enjoyed it.

They also had a nice Christmas market set up on the property, and we enjoyed dinner there one evening. The hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Rennweg station, providing public transportation connections through the city via tram or train. It is also only about a 20-minute walk to St. Stephen’s Square, where many of the city’s attractions are located.

Check-in:

There was no wait for check-in, and I was quickly greeted and recognized as a Globalist. The GM had e-mailed the day before to ask about bed configuration and had arranged a king bed for my wife and me and two twin beds with an extra roll-away for the kids. Both rooms were ready, and we were quickly up to our room to drop off our luggage and go find some dinner.

Rooms:

Other than the beds, our rooms were identical. They were typical of European city hotels in that they were small but functional. Our room was on the sixth floor and had a lovely view of the church next door and the Belvedere Palace in the distance.

The king bed was set up with two duvets, and the room featured a sitting chair, a desk with an office-type chair, and a stand for luggage. The desk had a basic coffee station and the hotel had left some fresh fruit for us.

The bathroom was also small and featured a single vanity, a stand-up shower, and a separate water closet. There was a hair dryer in the bathroom as well as full-size toiletries by Pharacopia.

The bed was a bit hard, but we slept fine. The room was quite warm, as often happens in the winter, but we compensated by cracking the window.

Property:

The hotel’s lobby features a 24-hour area featuring snacks, drinks, beer, wine, and a few other items all available with self-checkout. There is a full bar open until 11 pm and a restaurant featuring a mostly Viennese menu. We did get drinks one night, which were good, but we did not try the restaurant.

Upstairs, the hotel features a fairly decent fitness center, complete with a sauna and a nice sitting area. It was more than adequate for a quick workout after flying in from the US.

Breakfast:

At check-in, we were informed that breakfast would be complementary as a Globalist, and the hotel also extended this benefit to our kids’ room. While this is not a published benefit, it is always greatly appreciated.

Breakfast is often the most disappointing element of European hotels. It is hard to get excited about cold cuts, cheese, and muesli, so we went in with low expectations. Thankfully, the Lindner had one of the better breakfasts I’ve had in Europe. There was both filter coffee (quite good) and machine espresso drinks (average) available, as well as a wide range of teas, a machine for fresh orange juice, and both still and sparkling waters.

A good selection of cereals, yogurt, fruit, and bread filled one section, while another featured hot items such as bacon, sausages, pancakes, breakfast potatoes, and other items that seemed to rotate daily. Omelets were available to order, and they were excellent. Of course, there were also cold cuts and cheese.

The only small complaint was that there was no toaster or heater for the bread, leaving the challenge of frozen butter with room-temperature bread. Overall, the breakfast was an excellent start to each day and was better than most properties at a similar price point.

Conclusion:

The Linder was a great option for our family visit to Vienna. The service was good, the rooms were clean and comfortable, the breakfast was great, and the location was perfect. While it lacks the luxury that we probably would have found at the Park Hyatt, it was also 1/7 of the points per night. Unless you are swimming in Hyatt points, the Lindner will make an excellent option for a trip to Vienna.