Stadthotel am Römerturm

It pains me to write this, but I want to warn others. If this stops it happening to even one person, it's worthwhile. We stayed during the Christmas markets. After arriving, we went to our room to drop off our bags and left our passports on a surface. Yes, we should have used the safe, but you expect a hotel room to be secure. About three hours later, we came back and the passports were gone. The hotel said we'd lost them and that it had nothing to do with them. Staff laughed while we complained, were rude and unhelpful, and did nothing to assist. There were no incident forms and no acknowledgment that anything had happened. There are cameras only on the ground floor. Staff also said they couldn't see when rooms had been accessed, despite the card locks seeming like fairly basic technology. We couldn't believe how little help we got. They may not be able to control everyone who works for them or their connections, but they could have handled the situation properly, and they did absolutely nothing. Police told us this was becoming more common, and said Border Force at the airport had passed that information on. Cologne is a brilliant city, but be vigilant and careful. We would now only stay in recognised chain hotels. Stay elsewhere.

Calling this a four-star hotel is a joke. From the moment we arrived, it was obvious they had no idea what hospitality means. The room was filthy, with hair all over the dirty sheets and a shower floor that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in days. Disgusting for a place claiming to meet any standard. The receptionist named Yemen was the worst part. He was rude and unprofessional, didn't greet us or say please or thank you, and acted like letting us stay was a favour. Another receptionist on a different shift sat absorbed in his phone and didn't acknowledge guests coming in. No respect or professionalism from either of them. The staff badly need hospitality training. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, not even for free.

The front desk staff were friendly and really helpful. Whenever we ran into a problem, they found a way to sort it out. The hotel is older, but has good amenities: comfortable bed and pillows, proper towels, an actual made-in-Italy hairdryer, and decent water pressure and temperature. The TV crackled and shut itself off when I turned it on, so we left it alone for the rest of the stay. There's one central elevator for everyone, including the cleaning staff. It can take a while to reach your floor. After check-in we waited more than ten minutes, as it stopped for quite a long time on each floor. That was especially discouraging after a long journey. The location is good, not too far from the city center and main train station, where the Kölner Dom is.

The view of the Cologne Cathedral from our window was awesome. The location was great too, about a ten-minute walk from the central station. Staff did a great job and were always willing to help. We got into our room much sooner than expected, and I had an excellent stay during my trip.