Gallery Loft Cologne

We were locked out on Friday night with nowhere to sleep, despite several attempts by phone and email to tell the property that our flight delay was making us late. The place itself was deeply disappointing too. The 'hotel' was worn down, in disrepair, cheaply furnished despite the website calling the furniture 'designer', and unclean. The surroundings were deafening and in the middle of an industrial estate. We were charged a ridiculous amount for one of the worst travel experiences we've had. We considered leaving for the rest of our stay, but as mentioned, hotels in the city were fully booked, and the manager said the cancellation policy meant we'd still be charged the full stay.

The rooms are magnificent, but the people running the place seemed to have no idea how to manage a hotel. They never answered the phone, really never, didn't listen to voicemail or record the reservation. In the morning, nobody was at reception for checkout. We waited until around 12.00, then spotted someone from housekeeping in a room. He returned our 50 euro deposit and took the keys, so we could finally leave. It's a shame, because with the right people running it, this place could be terrific.

I stayed one night on a business trip in one of the "upgraded" rooms. It was clean and tidy, but the finish on some things could be better. There were chipped shelf corners and wear on the shower, small defects that added up to three stars for me. Reception also seems to keep odd hours, and check-in has to be before 10pm.

Check-in has an early 10pm cutoff, so be careful. My delayed flight meant I couldn't arrive in time, and I had to cancel the booking. They charged me 80% of the room price. At those rates, I expected more flexibility around check-in.