Maritim Hotel Köln

The location was superb, close to everything, and we had a gorgeous view of the Rhine. We were there for the Christmas Markets during the first week of December. Check-in took a very long time, though the staff did their best. There were room problems with the shower, linen and lights, but Reception staff fixed them when we reported them. The hotel has no porters, so you have to carry your own bags. As we were in a suite, we had the upgraded breakfast, but it didn’t work for me as someone with Coeliac disease. The fresh fruit was off, so I was left with tinned fruit. The Coeliac bread had been defrosted, was wet inside and felt like a brick, so I didn’t even take it out of the wrapper. The jam was shared and could have been cross-contaminated with gluten, so I couldn’t use that either. Ackner was amazing to deal with and so helpful. I hope I’ve got her name right. She deserves an award for what she had to deal with.

The central location makes it easy to explore the city, and the staff were consistently friendly, professional and helpful. Breakfast was well organized and had a good selection. The rooms feel dated and could clearly use renovation. I also found the room uncomfortably cold at times because the heating seemed capped around 25°C and couldn’t be turned up. It gave me the impression of cost saving at the expense of guest comfort, and didn’t seem energy efficient in a way that put guests first. Better temperature control and updated rooms would improve the experience a lot.

We came for the Christmas markets and stayed four nights. The hotel was lovely, with clean rooms, helpful and professional staff, and a great location. My only issue was a constant noise that kept me awake most of the first night. The staff moved me to a different room when I mentioned it, but I could still hear the same noise, so I ended up using earplugs. Aside from that, everything was great.

Akar made our one full day at the Cologne Christmas markets work so well. She checked us in at the Maritim Hotel Koln on the evening of 22 December and was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful throughout the trip. First she suggested a wonderful restaurant within easy walking distance for local food and atmosphere. Then she marked all seven markets on a map, which let us plan December 23 and spend plenty of time in each one. We couldn’t have managed such a successful day without her help. The hotel has plenty of amenities, and we had an amazing view of the Kolner Dom/Cologne Cathedral and the Heinzels Winter Fairytale Christmas Market. The location, service and hotel itself were all impressive. With that view and Akar’s help, Maritim Hotel Koln is our go-to place to stay in Cologne.