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.
The room was fairly generic but had everything I could need including a mini-bar and windows that opened along with some complimentary (well I didn’t pay) water. The room was also quiet, really quiet, which is so important to me when I travel. I discovered later that the bed was very comfortable too, slipping off to sleep effortlessly.
I checked out the bar during my stay here and was given great service from the staff as well as some good conversation about Cologne. The beer was good (Kölsch of course!) and reasonably priced considering the quality of the hotel. The (American) guy sat next to me at the bar had ordered a Cheeseburger and fries – they looked really good!
The hotel is situated in the middle of Cologne with lots of places to eat within 10 minutes walk. I overheard a conversation with a guest about the ‘extortionate cost of car parking so you may want to leave the car and take the train. That way, you can have some more Kölsch too! If you fancy some food at any time of day but don’t fancy eating in the hotel, the train station has several bakeries that are open 24 hours so you can get some yummy fresh delights.
Checkout was painless and I even tried to extend my stay here (with no luck). As a Hilton devotee I found my stay at the Marriott Cologne refreshing. Perhaps I expect too much from the Hilton and end up disappointed when I don’t get it? As a Hotwire guest I didn’t expect much from the Marriott at all, but my expectations were greatly exceeded. My stay here was just what a stay should be – painless and trouble free and all for 110€.
Cologne Marriott Hotel, Johannisstrasse 76-80 · Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia 50668 Germany. Website
