Hotel Viktoria

I appreciated the healthy choices at breakfast, the quiet, the cleanliness, the good shower pressure, and having a kettle and mini-frig. But I booked because the hotel advertised air conditioning, and I later found out it's only in three rooms. My first room was extremely hot, and a staff member said it had no AC, so I moved to a lower floor that he said would be cooler. That room had no AC either, and I barely slept. The next morning they told me the first room did have AC. After checking that it worked, I packed everything and moved back upstairs. The manager didn't take responsibility or apologize for the misleading advertising, the lost night's sleep, or making me change rooms twice. The mattresses were far too firm and the pillows so soft they felt like sleeping on a jacket. The hotel is well away from the historic centre, which wasn't convenient. Only one of the three windows had a screen, and another was hanging off its hinge. The mini-frig was filled with products for sale, which I had to move to use it. To reach the lift, you have to carry your bags up the stairs to the second floor. My biggest concern was fire safety: the historic keys and door locks aren't quick or easy to use.

The room was an okay size for me as a solo guest in a single-bed room, though the bathroom was small. The hotel has an old-fashioned style. Breakfast was poor.

I liked that it was close to the city centre without being in the middle of all the tourist bustle. It's around a 25-minute walk, mostly along the Rhine, to Cologne Main station, with the cathedral just beyond it. The botanical gardens, which were stunning, and the zoo are very close by too. The hotel is in a historic building and has a lovely, unusual music theme because it used to be a music museum. Breakfast is included, and each morning the staff remembered my gluten allergy and brought gluten-free bread to the breakfast room. They were friendly, and the whole place had a great atmosphere.

The breakfast was superb, and the receptionists were very friendly. Communication in English was no problem at all. Built in 1906, the building was originally a Museum of Music History. Its historic character alongside the modern facilities gives it a distinctive feel. The rooms were super clean, and the hotel is very close to the Rhine.