ibis Hotel Köln Centrum

We had to find somewhere at the last minute when our planned accommodation ran into problems, and the staff here were friendly and helpful. The tram stop right nearby was handy too. We had a nice stay, though the beds felt more like padded cots than comfortable beds.

The location was handy for restaurants, takeaways, and the Neumarkt shopping centre, which was within walking distance. The stay itself was rough: the room was small and dirty, and it was cleaned just once during our three days. The walls were so thin we heard music, shouting, and even snoring. Our room faced the main road, so we had to keep the window closed, and it got stuffy at times even though we weren't using the heating. There wasn't even water, tea, or coffee in the room, and the bed and pillows were so uncomfortable that I got neck pain. When we arrived at 7 a.m., we politely asked about an early check-in and offered to pay extra, but got an aggressive, patronising response. I wouldn't recommend it to tourists coming from outside Germany. If you're visiting Cologne, you only need a day, so don't make the same mistake we did.

Breakfast was good, and the hotel is near the tram, with the centre about a 30-minute walk away. Our check-in room had no working heat, so we asked to move and were given another room. They offered a portable heater too, but I declined because I didn't want the extra hassle of finding space for it in such a small room. There was no wardrobe, and the bathroom heater worked in a strange way: the switch by the light turned it on for about five minutes. You had to remember to switch it on ahead of time if you wanted warmth in the bathroom, otherwise it blew right in your face. Room service also took the towels off the hanger and didn't leave replacements, even though hanging towels didn't need changing.

The woman at the bar always had a great attitude, and I liked the hotel. My room was pretty small for the price, though, and they didn't tell us there'd be maintenance, so it was noisy in the morning.