Leipzig is just a couple of hours by train from Berlin. The Penta is only a ten-minute walk from the station. This Penta is unusual as it contains an all-inclusive lounge that we wanted to try.
This review is available on this page as text and pictures, or below as a video.
The hotel has a large courtyard, with tables set up in the centre.
The lobby is huge, with a well-stocked bar, comfortable seating and a pool table. Penta pioneered the ‘check in at the bar’ concept and it continues to work well. The Penta Leipzig bar/lobby isn’t as cosy as the Pentahotel Köpenick nor as cool as the Penta Prague.
The guy on check in was amazingly friendly and helpful. He really couldn’t do enough for us.
Our Penta Club Room
We stayed in a Penta Club room, with access to the Club Lounge. I hoped that a Penta Club room might mean fluffy bathrobes and an in-room safe – but it seemed just the same as our Penta Plus room in Pentahotel Köpenick, although it did have a walk-in rainwater shower, which I much preferred to the bath/shower.
A lovely welcome gift plate and drinks were left in our room.
Penta rooms have a funky, tribute to the 70s design. The king size bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was clean and modern. The free wi-fi was fast. The air con worked quietly.
There were no USB charging ports, not even behind the orange @ panel that opened to reveal numerous internet and TV input points. The pillows were small and went flat quickly.
The Club Lounge
Club lounge access (second floor) is normally a EUR 49 per person, per night add-on.
The Club Lounge was huge, but still cosy and comfortable (I made a video tour as part of the video above).
The refrigerators were well stocked. Beer and wine available 24 hours.
Stronger alcohol appeared around 6pm and stayed the night.
The lounge was deserted. Apparently, they provide a hot buffet in the evening when busy – otherwise there is a telephone where you can order anything from the Penta food menu without any charge.
I don’t think there are any limits, although we only ordered once per day.
On our first evening we tried a Penta cheeseburger. It was so much better than I expected.
The next evening, I noticed a specials menu offered on the outside courtyard. No sign of the same menu in the lounge.
I called and asked for two saddle of lamb and two panna cotta – I half expected to be told that I could only order from the standard menu, but there was no problem.
The lamb was absolutely amazing; tender lamb, rich mash and a huge portion – well worth the EUR 24.50 guests were paying downstairs.
The panna cotta was lovely.
One thing missing from the lounge was snacks. There are no crisps, peanuts nor pretzels.
We had breakfast in the main restaurant, but stopped by the lounge to see what was on offer.
There was a decent spread of meats, cheeses, pastries and yoghurts. I’m not sure if anyone ate any of it. I did wonder if it was possible to order a cooked-to-order breakfast to be delivered, but didn’t try.
Having access to the Club Lounge is amazing. But is it worth EUR 49 per person? How much do you value exclusivity and privacy? Will you have dinner in the lounge? How many drinks do you consume during a typical day? Does your current hotel rate include breakfast? Having dinner in the lounge is the biggest benefit, although if the only offering was a buffet, that benefit is reduced – I haven’t seen the buffet, but it would have to be amazing to compete with cooked-to-order food.
The biggest downside is lack of access to the outside courtyard or even the downstairs bar with pool tables.
I think Penta should consider offering an all-inclusive package to those who pay for the Club Lounge. In that way, you could eat and drink where you like. I also think the club lounge could earn more from corporate parties than just the few guests that decide to splash out. I wonder if it’s possible to book a club room with access to the lounge on New Year’s Eve?
Breakfast
We were really impressed with the breakfast at the Pentahotel Köpenick and so it was good to see that great breakfasts are a Penta standard. Fresh juices, sparkling wine, pastries, cold meats, cheeses, hot buffet and an omelette station.
I’m still amazed that Covid didn’t kill the buffet – there was a requirement to wear masks when visiting the buffet and there were plenty of hand sanitising stations.
Other Stuff
The hotel has a swimming pool that is open 24 hours. We didn’t check it.
The outside terrace is comfortable and was bug free in July. Sadly, it was also free of any staff. Early evening, I sat on the terrace for fifteen minutes and nobody came. I visited the lobby bar and ordered a beer for the terrace – which they then made me wait for rather than offer to bring it out. The next evening and despite the ‘don’t remove’ notices, I poured myself a beer in the club lounge and took it outside.
We enjoyed our stay at the Pentahotel and I’d recommend it as a place to stay while in Leipzig.
Pentahotel Leipzig
Großer Brockhaus 3
04103 Leipzig
Germany
+49 (0)341 12920
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