Hotel Jakob Regensburg DownTown, BW Signature Collection

A classic case of a hotel in the German-speaking world which is old but you’d have trouble telling. The modern interior of this 19th century building is cold and without character, but includes comfortable, quiet rooms with air conditioning - a rare treat in this part of the world, which gets it from 3 to 4 stars. The buffet breakfast was good but at the time we visited, in the midst of Covid hysteria, required not only the dreaded face masks if you moved from your table, but the wearing of plastic gloves to put food on your plate - all of which was fiercely policed and something we mercifully didn’t encounter anywhere else in Europe. On the positive side, the hotel offered a quiet sleep in large beds and is within a very short walk of Regensburg’s historic centre.