Boardinghouse for Temporary Housing

When I started a new job in Hamburg at the beginning of the year, I was looking for suitable accommodation. Since I am originally from Austria and didn’t yet have much of a network in Hamburg, the search for an apartment unfortunately turned out to be a little more difficult than expected. Thank God my employer drew my attention to Oberdeck Hamburg.

The apartment hotel is centrally located in the heart of Altona. Booking was straightforward and booking for a longer period wasn’t a problem. Since I couldn’t estimate the duration of my search for an apartment, it was important to me to have the option of a long-term stay. To my surprise, there was even a special price available for extended-stay guests.

When I arrived at Obedeck, I was a little nervous. In addition to the usual anxiety that comes with a new job and a new city, I was also afraid that I might have forgotten something important back home. But when I was shown what was going to be my home for the next few weeks, my anxiety was quickly alleviated. Oberdeck offers fully equipped serviced apartments.

And by “fully equipped,” I mean fully equipped: the room furnishings really left nothing to be desired, from the coffee machine to dish towels to a strainer. It had it all. And I had actually dragged all my old kitchen stuff from Austria with me because I didn’t want to buy everything new!

„didn’t regret this decision for a second“

You have your choice of serviced apartments, with or without a balcony, in 3 different categories: Classic, Comfort, or Premium. Regardless of which category you choose, all serviced apartments have a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom with daylight, a smart TV, and free WiFi.

I decided to go for the Comfort variant with a balcony and didn’t regret this decision for a second. The studio apartment was a good size and was really sufficient for me as a single person.

The room was furnished with comfortable seating and I particularly liked the loft bed which could be reached via a small staircase. Despite the limited number of square meters, I had the feeling of having a separate sleeping area. The apartment really makes the most use of the 25 m2 and not a centimeter is wasted.

There was also storage space with cupboards and shelves under the stairs to the loft. I have to say that during my stay at Oberdeck, I never had the feeling that I had too little space or that I couldn’t stash my things away properly. Once I even invited one of my new work colleagues over to show her my temporary digs in Hamburg. The room offered enough space for two to spend a nice evening.

„you are able to see the whole city“

Even if you decide against a room with a balcony, it’s not such a big deal since you can use the rooftop terrace accessible to all guests any time you like. The rooftop terrace offers wonderful 360° views over Hamburg. Since I didn’t really know much about Hamburg yet, this was particularly thrilling.

You can see the entire city and even the famous Elbphilharmonie. What more could you want? The terrace is equipped with loungers and seating and, if you get thirsty, there’s a coffee and beverage vending machine There’s also a snack machine for those who get hungry.

I couldn’t wait to come back to the terrace after my first day of work and enjoy a cup of coffee as I took in the wonderful 360° views over Hamburg. Due to the location of the apartment hotel in the heart of Altona, you really are able to see the whole city.

Somehow, life at Oberdeck all felt more like a vacation here than everyday routine. When the sun is shining, the roof terrace is also an ideal place to meet other guests. It’s not always easy to get to know people in a new city, so, when the weather was fine, I used the opportunity to talk to the other guests and find out why they were staying in Hamburg and how they came to the Boardinghouse OBERDECK.

„I will always fondly remember it“

If you’re in the mood for a spontaneous dinner, the Oberdeck is in a great location right in the heart of Altona. The train station is just a few steps away, and there are also many restaurants and cafés around the apartment. However, I mostly chose to cook at home at the Oberdeck because the kitchen is fully equipped, with a stove, refrigerator, and even a microwave.

They also had plates, glasses, and silverware. Since I’m almost never at home during the day, I always found it enjoyable to cook dinner in my room and take a little break. That’s the advantage of the apartment hotel: you have the privacy of your own apartment, but you can also enjoy the facilities of a hotel and not have to worry about anything.

Even washing my laundry turned out to be extremely practical. In the basement, there’s a fully equipped laundry room with washing machines and even a dryer. There’s a convenient machine for paying and I would do my laundry while I cooked dinner, effectively making double use of my time as I waited for the wash to get done. An iron and ironing board are also available to each guest free of charge.

In the end, I can only say positive things about my stay at Oberdeck Hamburg’s serviced apartments. For me, it was absolutely the best opportunity to get to know a new city and to focus on starting my new job without having the stress of looking for an apartment at the same time.

So I had the opportunity to arrive in Hamburg, explore the city for a while, and consider which part of the city I’d want to set up my new home in. Hamburg was easy to explore due to apartment hotel’s great location right in the heart of Altona. As I said, Oberdeck is just a few minutes’ walk from Altona train station and from there you are perfectly connected, no matter which part of Hamburg you want to explore. The equipment of the serviced apartments was absolutely sufficient and even more than I expected. I never once felt that I needed more.

I will especially miss the great 360° views over Hamburg from the rooftop terrace. Unfortunately, there won’t be anything like that in my new apartment. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity of spending my first weeks here in Hamburg and I will always fondly remember it.