Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg

I’ve been returning to this beautiful Schloss regularly for over ten years. The food is a big part of why: all three restaurants, the Italian, the hotel lobby restaurant, and the two-star Michelin Vendome, serve great meals. Vendome is a must when you stay here. There’s also a wonderful buffet, lovely rooms, and live piano during lunch.

We had a great weekend at Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg. Sali made the best cocktails, and we really enjoyed spending time with her. We’d definitely recommend the place!

The spa team, valet, and young apprentices were kind and professional, but our four-night stay at Althoff Schloss Bensberg Hotel was let down by service that didn’t feel worthy of five stars. We were impressed by the facilities, yet the overall treatment fell short of the luxury hotels we often visit, such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and Peninsula. We first booked a suite, then moved to a lower room category because we weren’t happy with it. The replacement room had an unclean toilet and a TV that didn’t work. Housekeeping was inconsistent too: rooms weren’t cleaned despite requests, staff arrived at 8:00 a.m. while we were jet-lagged, and room-service trays sat in the room all day. The smoking issue was especially uncomfortable. We explicitly asked if we could smoke in the back garden and never smoked in the room, but management later rudely accused us of smoking indoors. That was embarrassing, and it was later shown to be untrue. Our dealings with senior management were disappointing. The hotel has a lot of potential, but guest care and service, especially for international guests, need serious improvement.

It feels like staying in a palace, almost like a nobleman. The people are friendly and the service is great. The metro is about a 10-minute walk away, and it takes around 35 minutes to reach the center of Köln.