Sonata City Hotel

Cigarette smoke smell was everywhere, even in the room. The carpet was dirty, and there were only a few hangers instead of a clothes cabinet. I was told there was a safe, but any code I tried let it open with 000#. The elevator was ancient and battered. It looked so old I wondered if they still made spare parts for it. Definitely wouldn't recommend.

We'd probably come back. The staff were nice, and because we were staying five days they gave us a bigger room. The location is right in the city center and good value compared with Cologne prices. The rooms are very worn, but ours wasn't dirty. The internet was down when we arrived and the vending machines were empty, but both were sorted out the next day. There wasn't any room service. Instead, a woman knocked at noon every day, opened the door without permission and asked if we were checking out, even though we'd told her we had three more days. It was quiet until our last night, when some kids from Holland yelled in the hall and woke us by banging on our dorm door and shouting in the middle of the night. The manager seemed really upset about it and wanted to help. He told us to call him if it happened again.

It was clean and tidy, and I've paid a lot more for rooms that were worse. The room and bathroom are small, but I was travelling alone, so that didn't bother me. It's a fair price for a straightforward stay a few minutes on foot from Neumarkt. If you want luxury, look elsewhere. I'd consider staying here on another visit to Cologne.

The lift is there, but it doesn't work. The rooms also look nothing like the pictures and are in really rough shape. A closet nearly fell on me, and we had to move the furniture just to open the window. The bathroom has no window, and the beds are right by its door, so using the toilet felt awkward with other people nearby. Wouldn't recommend.