I travelled to Germany to attend the Anuga Fair which was to be held at Kolnmesse which is in Cologne. Since I was traveling on a budget and the hotels in Cologne were expensive, the travel agent suggested that I stay in a hotel in Bonn and then just take the train into Cologne to get to the fairgrounds. This was how I came to be booked at Hotel Kaiserhof. The room rate for a single room was only around US$150 compared to the US$250 quoted for the hotels in Cologne.

The hotel, albeit small, looked quite charming from the outside. I was told that it used to be a mansion and had been converted into a hotel. They did not have a bellman and the elevator was very small. In fact, I had to take a 2nd trip to get my 2nd luggage.

The room was very small and it was really a single room because a 2nd person wouldn't fit. The bed was a single bed along the wall. There was a table by the wall on the other side and a tv. There was a window you could look out of and see the train station. The bathroom was quite spotless with only a shower and no amenities like soap and shampoo. It was quite spartan but I came to love my room because it was comfortable and I had quite a good sleep on the bed.

They offer free breakfast each morning in a charming room which had plates as decor on the wall. Breakfast never varied. It was always fruit, scrambled eggs, rolls, a selection of deli meats, lox, cream cheese, butter, marmalade, juice, coffee and milk with some cereals. But I enjoyed the food.

The train is a short walk from the hotel and it was very convenient to travel to Cologne every morning. The train leaves every half hour or so. There is also a convenience store in the train station and I would buy water and some chips there.

There is also a desk top computer at the lobby of the hotel which guests can use for free. I, myself did not bring my laptop so I can't say if they offer wifi.

The manager was very helpful. I had to ask him about the location of a shoe store I was looking for and he gave me a map and some instructions on how to get there. The problem was that the map was in German but even so, I was able to find the shop.

That was how I found out that there was a commercial area at the back of the hotel. I managed to make a few purchases at an H&M and M&S.

If you need a cab to take you to the airport, you have to inform the front desk so they can arrange it for you.

My stay was quite pleasant and I have no complaints. This is because I wasn't expecting too much as I was there really to work and not to vacation.