Hotel zur Malzmühle

The staff were really friendly and deserve five stars, but the room spoiled the stay for me. The shower had no door and sat level with the bedroom floor, so water could flow straight into the room. Even at a moderate setting, it wasn't draining properly and began reaching my luggage and wardrobe. I caught it, turned off the water, and waited about five minutes for it to drain before carrying on. Then I had to clean the bedroom floor myself. I was initially thinking of giving the hotel four stars, but that drainage and design problem changed my mind. There are better options than this hotel.

The location made getting around easy. Hotel zur Malzmühle is at the south end of Heumarket in the Altstadt, near the Rhine, and I walked everywhere without trouble. Köln hbf was about a 16-minute walk. The staff spoke English easily, and breakfast had plenty to choose from. The nicest woman there would make Eier und Speck (eggs and bacon), and there was even a giant tub of Nutella. I also loved the neighboring brewhouse, especially the Metthappen. The dishes have German names with English descriptions, so choosing was simple. I booked a single room. It was cozy, clean, and comfortable, which was all I needed since I mainly used it to sleep and shower. The window opened like a door, which I liked. There’s no A/C, but the hotel provides a fan. I loved staying here and would book it again if I come back. Enjoy your journey.

The location was good, but the music from the bar made it impossible to sleep. I had booked two nights and unfortunately left early after one sleepless night.

A clean, nicely designed boutique hotel in a great location, with friendly staff. Daily room cleaning isn't provided unless you ask. They explained it was part of their sustainability efforts, and that was fine with us.