Hotel Freiheit

There was no air conditioning, and the double bed we booked had been replaced with two singles. The key policy was the bigger concern: guests had to leave their room key at reception whenever they went out, but someone could apparently ask for a key to any room just by giving its number, with no identity check. That felt like a terrible honesty system.

Room 25 was spotless, with a small balcony catching the morning sun and a nice view. The bed was roomy enough for us at 1.90 and 1.80, and the soft, fluffy duvets and pillows made it tempting to stay there all day. We also liked the huge Samsung screen with its phone mirroring feature. At night, the hotel was remarkably quiet, even with the funfair going on outside during our stay, so our earplugs stayed packed. Breakfast was included in the room price and had lots of fresh, good quality options, from fruit, nuts and cereals to German breads, pastries, dairy, meat and eggs. I especially liked the cappuccino made on the classic Cimbali machine. You can see the Dom from the breakfast area. Later, there are plenty of hip coffee places around Cologne for a funky coffee and a cinnamon bun. The hotel is across the Rhine by the lovely Deutzer Brücke, and right by tram stops 1, 7 and 9. Tram 7 gets you to the Dom and city center in five minutes, and the Ludwig museum is close too, with lots of modern art. Walking over Deutzer bridge in the morning light gives you an amazing Rhine view. The people running the place clearly care about hospitality, service and style. They’ve filled it with art and things they’ve collected, including paintings, sculptures, photos, art nouveau lamps, pop-art images and scale models. We loved its atmosphere. A personal, friendly, comfortable place in a convenient spot. We’ll be back.

The German-style breakfast was very good, and the room was okay for a two-night business trip in Köln. The price per night was decent, and the hotel has a lovely style of its own. The lack of A/C made the stay really unpleasant. I tried using the fan, but its water reservoir was so dirty that I had to stop, as shown in the attached picture. I can't confirm it, but I'm pretty sure my bed had bed bugs because I woke up after the first night with red bites on my arms, legs and body. With no A/C, the dirtiness and possible bed bugs in room 20, I wouldn't recommend staying here at the moment. It was very much a 3/5 experience.

The reception staff were outstanding, and breakfast was generous and really good. We booked through booking without expecting the rooms to be this nice: ours was very large-screened, and the whole place felt quite new. Best discovery of this trip. Highly recommended.