I was pleased to have found a Cologne hotel located by the River Rhine, but on approaching the hotel I was a little perturbed by the major roads in the vicinity. However, traffic noise was not a problem inside the building - I have never known such effective double-glazing. I received a polite and helpful welcome from the receptionist, and the reception area was very pleasant, with a small lift up to the bedrooms.
My room was at the front with a view of the river. It was perhaps on the small side for a twin room but the high ceiling and vast wall-to-wall window added a spacious feel. It was supposedly a Mediterranean-style room but nothing in the room reminded me of the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the room was very pleasing, being quite nicely furnished and decorated, although the walls were perhaps a bit bare and needed more pictures. A nice touch was a free bottle of Evian water. In one corner, there was a small old-style TV (with only one English-language channel) and a very nice clock-radio. The bed was reasonably comfortable but the duvet kept slipping off the bed during the night.
The small ensuite shower-room was very clean and equipped with a range of toiletries. The shower only had a curtain, which seemed to attack me once it was wet, otherwise the bathroom was in line with the rest of the room.
Breakfast was not included in the room-rate but was available for only 5 Euros extra. It was served in a lovely dining room just off the reception area. A very good range of food was on offer, including the cold meats that seem to be standard in Germany. The breakfast was of exceptional value.
Check-out time is normally 11:00 but can be extended to 12:00, which I chose to do. However, the cleaner pestered me repeatedly throughout the morning and I ended up leaving a little earlier than planned. What I found unforgiveable was that on returning from a short mid-morning walk, I found my bedroom door wide open with cleaning equipment inside the room but no cleaner to be seen. My room had been left unattended like this with nearly all my valuables inside!
Overall, I loved this hotel and found it to be excellent quality for the price. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone planning a stay in Cologne.
- Allegro Hotel Cologne
