I had just checked out of the Marriott Cologne which I had booked using Hotwire and had a really pleasant stay. As a Diamond Hhonors member I was expecting good things from the Hilton Cologne…I was travelling on business and due to a conference at the UN in Bonn, I was staying in Cologne. I had walked from the Marriott through the station and out the other side, past the cathedral and found the Hilton on my right. It certainly wasn’t a long walk from the station. I left my bags with reception and hopped on a train to Bonn (where I managed a visit to the Haribo factory!)
Archive - Germany
RSS Feed
Hilton Cologne – Germany
Marriott Hotel, Cologne – Germany
I was working in Bonn for a client but as the UN had decided to hold a worldwide summit, hotel rooms were not readily available. Despite my best efforts, my client wouldn’t stump up the 300€ for a room at the Hilton Bonn which I could have blagged using Diamond force from Hhonors. I was stuck with a hotel in Cologne and a train journey each way, which isn’t really what I had a mind. Anyway, I was a little surprised to learn that hotel rooms in Cologne were also expensive so I decided to take a gamble with Hotwire. My gamble turned out to be the Marriott.
The Marriott is situated directly opposite the train station (the back end, not the exit by the cathedral) and you can almost see the lights on the hotel when you exit. Check in was excellent. I had a bit of a discussion about how I normally favoured Hilton and was upgraded to a Deluxe room. The staff member (I think she was a manager) was friendly and helpful and seemed to really want me to try and really experience ‘her’ brand.
Derag Living Hotel Kanzler – Bonn, Germany
The client I was working with had booked my stay at The Kanzler on my behalf. I was a little despondent as I was hoping to cash in on a Hilton Hhonors promo.
I arrived at the hotel around 11:30am having arrived back into the UK only the night before from a stay in the US. It was cold in Bonn and I may have been just a touch on the grumpy side but was trying hard not to show it.
Check in did not go well. The staff member was bordering on grumpy (although perhaps this is a German thing), and throughout the very lengthy check-in process I helped myself to a chocolate from the bowl at reception. As I reached for another chocolate the staff member moved the plate to the other side of the counter. Seriously.
