Pillows in Germany

Normally you can just ask in hotels for other pillows which are more firm. In German 4 and 5 star hotels based on DeHoGa classification catalogue it is a criteria to offer different types of pillows (criteria 83).

As noted, soft pillows are the norm unless you upgrade to the hotels offering pillow menus. And yes, we found that in zimmers and hotels below 4-5☆, a very firm mattress was to be expected. I just got used to pummelling and smooshing the pillow into a more compact shape. As for smoking - it's not as pronounced as it used to be, but is more common in most of Europe compared to the US. And while it is certainly untrue that everyone has a dog, dogs in restaurants are also not uncommon in many areas of Europe. You probably also noticed that those dogs were well behaved and well trained .

Normally you can just ask in hotels for other pillows which are more firm. In German 4 and 5 star hotels based on DeHoGa classification catalogue it is a criteria to offer different types of pillows (criteria 83).

Most of my experience was on a Rick Steves Tour. I don't know what 'official star designation' their chosen hotels are, but they are certainly good enough for us on most counts. We did stay at a hotel chosen on our own before the tour, a moderately expensive ($300/night) 'Dorint' brand hotel, and when I asked there for a firmer pillow I was told they only had the one type available. I gave up asking after a few stays, as the answer was pretty universally 'no choice'.

I loved their duvets, though, and mattresses! So strange that the pillows were so incredibly soft.

A few years back when we traveled northern France, we kept getting awful coarse pillows, or pillows that were square or seemed to be more like shams than pillows for sleep. From then on, I bring an oldish pillow case, and of course, have never run into a similar situation. That's ok, it takes little room and has been handy for other uses--to transport laundry, to fill our airline pillows and blankets to make a decent size pillow (my husband never uses his.

As for smoking - it's not as pronounced as it used to be, but is more common in most of Europe compared to the US.

My gut feeling is that smoking seems to be seeing a resurgence, but I could be wrong. I've been traveling to Europe since the 90s and it seemed like it really dropped off at some point - but, I could be wrong. Where it really impacted us was in outdoor dining. In the US (at least, in CA), you can't smoke on 'outdoor patios', but this was very common in Germany (and Switzerland). Sitting outdoors with a bunch of smokers around you is pretty tough, so we always opted for indoor seating (except on one sunny day in Bern (CH), the restaurant decided to close its interior entirely so as to focus it's entire staff on the outdoor area).

And while it is certainly untrue that everyone has a dog, dogs in restaurants are also not uncommon in many areas of Europe. You probably also noticed that those dogs were well behaved and well trained.

I certainly have no complaints about the many dogs we saw in restaurants, I have to say. I'm personally allergic to dogs, so don't want one sitting next to me, but other than that, they were all quiet and well-behaved. Since it's 'not my country', I will go with the flow but it just really surprised me!

a moderately expensive ($300/night) 'Dorint' brand hotel

Would you share with us which Dorint hotel this was?

Would you share with us which Dorint hotel this was?

Hotel Dorint in Wurzburg, near Frankfurt. It was a last-minute change of venue, so no chance of shopping around much, but it was a good location - walking distance from the train station (#1 criterion), walking distance to old town. Also, two twin beds in room. Good breakfast. This was our first experience of a 'Dorint' so I have no idea if it was typical or not. No fuss, decent sized room.

My favorite are the Billerbech/Dauny medium Kissen. Not cheap, but worth it. I like Mühldorfer too. As mentioned ask for another pillow. Most good hotels come with two different types per person. And yes many older Germans still smoke (outside) and well mannered dogs are allowed in restaurants. It's part of the culture.

300$ per night is twice as much as I would ever spend on a hotel room. That is more than moderately expensive to me, it is more like over the top expensive.

Always ask your front desk.

Give me a soft pillow any day over a hard, firm one like I have had in Spain and Portugal. Feathers over foam, though I do get that feathers are harder to clean then foam. I don't want my head to feel like it is fighting with the pillow.

I can say that my wife noticed the softness, or in many cases "flatness" of the pillows (she has a bad neck that can act up), but to be honest, what bugged her more was that the pillows were square, not a rectangle (especially if you think of an American king size bed pillow). She just was not able to get them to scrunch and fold to be comfortable.

Not that she issued any complaints, just one of those norms you run into in traveling, like duvets for me, ice in drinks for some, dainty coffees, different meal times, all things that might disrupt your comfort zone, but make travel the adventure it is.

It isn’t just Germany. I had the worst pillow of my life in Marseille at a very nice business hotel and at a Hilton property in Utrecht there was nothing but anemic pillows offered No alternatives available. My dilemma is compounded by the fact that I have a severe feather allergy and must have a fiberfill pillow. I’ve investigated a myriad of fixes.

Many times I’ve just resorted to spending 5 or 10 euros at Primark, Hema or the equivalent and bought a pillow. Another trick I’ve tried is the double pillow stuff. I bring a pillow case from home and stuff two substandard pillows into one case. But if the pillow is hard to begin with this isn’t the best solution.

And finally, I crafted my own ¾ sized pillow from a favorite bed pillow (cut the pillow shell down to a packable size and removed 25% of the stuffing). This size pillow fits into a large travel compression bag (the kind that you roll to remove air) that fits perfectly on top of my clothes in my 21” Travelpro Max carry-on. I made a very colorful case for my special pillow so that it doesn’t get left behind. Granted this solution does require a bit of measuring, math and some sewing skill.

Germany doesn't view/treat all dogs as a single group but instead restricts ownership and handling of dogs to a narrower group that, in the eyes of German authorities, does not pose enhanced danger to human beings. This level of government attention may be part of the reason that German dogs tend to be well behaved.

https://dogcrunch.com/16-dog-breeds-that-are-banned-in-germany/

In addition to JenS's suggestion of vacuum-packing a "regular" pillow, there are inflatable camping pillows available at REI. Fully inflated, these are quite rigid and often shaped to "fit" better. Here is one example. The "deluxe" size is nearly 2 feet wide:
https://www.rei.com/product/151400/sea-to-summit-aeros-premium-pillow

I think these soft, square pillows are somewhat expected to be folded once or twice to be comfortable - that is how my German parents and grandparents would handle them, as do my in-laws. Part of the history is that they used to be filled with downs, which tended to be more stable, but those got replaced by foam for reasons of hygiene.
Smoking - yeah. I feel it has gotten better, but smokers are an important voting block, and being able to smoke wherever you want is frequently stated as an important aspect of a free country by more right and libertarian leaning politicians. Back in my youth in the early 2000s you could still smoke in restaurants indoors, and smelled like … well, you can imagine.

In addition to JenS's suggestion of vacuum-packing a "regular" pillow, there are inflatable camping pillows available at REI. Fully inflated, these are quite rigid and often shaped to "fit" better. Here is one example. The "deluxe" size is nearly 2 feet wide:
https://www.rei.com/product/151400/sea-to-summit-aeros-premium-pillow

Thanks for the tip. I may just take a look at those!

Ironically, the pillow we had at the end of our trip, in Barcelona, was perhaps the best I've EVER had, anywhere! I pulled the covers off it and took a picture of the label, but of course it's a local (Spanish) brand and not something I could buy in the US.

Yes, very accurate that pillows in German hotels (3 or 4 star) are very soft.

I can expect that when staying in 3 or 4 star hotels there, having experienced that numerous times. I don't carry my own pillow, wouldn't dare.

@ms.jo -

300$ per night is twice as much as I would ever spend on a hotel room. That is more than moderately expensive to me, it is more like over the top expensive.

I believe I mentioned, we booked this hotel at the last minute. We had a much lower rate on a hotel in Rothenburg, but decided, late in the game, that Rothenburg - as gorgeous as it is - is not the best base from which to explore Bamberg, Wurzburg, etc by train. I had to call the hotel to get the room we needed (wasn't available on their website). I just looked at their website now and for their typical room, in October, their rate is 128 Euros as a 'member' and 142 Euros standard rate. I should also mention, our rate included breakfast which adds a surprising 37 Euros (for 2) (the breakfast was very good).

We did ask for different pillows and were told none existed. I wouldn't be surprised if the person I asked was not the 'best informed' member of staff ...

I had to reply because big hard pillows are one of my pet peeves in parts of Europe. Germany's pillows aren't too bad, but in Slovenia and especially in Croatia I had a really hard time. Stacking up pillows is a lot easier than trying to un-stuff them, though I literally did that once in Istria.

I take a down jacket to stuff into a small pillowcase for a soft landing for my head, but it's not enough pillow on its own. On a recent seven week trip to Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia, pillows were a real challenge. Most of them were 8-inch thick rocks. I have just ordered a down travel pillow for next time.

Stacking up pillows is a lot easier than trying to un-stuff them

This isn't as effective as you might think. Two really soft pillows together just ends up suffocating you - your head sinks so far into the 'mush' that your nose and mouth is covered by the sides of the pillow that just rise up.

What your post illustrates is, we all have different preferences and any half-decent hotel (certainly those charging hundreds of dollars) should be offering choices.

The inflatable pillow suggested above is a great suggestion, and taking an empty pillow case to put various clothing items into to make a makeshift pillow is also a good idea. Using a spare towel from the bathroom also can help give some elevation to the pillow.