Hay Market

Stayed at this hotel due to its close proximity to the Cologne Christmas Markets and because we required a triple room. The location of the hotel is convenient - close to tram stop and a few mins walking distance of the Christmas Market at Heumarkt. There is also a great Brauhaus just around the corner for German beer and food. However, the hotel is on a main road and the traffic was incredibly noisy - even after midnight you should expect to hear drunken shouting, sirens, fast cars driving past etc outside. Our room was also located opposite the elevator, so we could hear every guest on our floor using it and all of their conversations. On our second night a male guest was very loud returning from their night out and as they got off the elevator around 2am they purposefully banged on our door very loudly which was a little scary (I assume they were drunk). If choosing to stay here, keep your doors firmly locked and pack ear plugs if you want any sleep. In terms of cleanliness, it was quite a dusty room. The sink was very slow to drain water. There was also occasionally a “dirty pipe/sewage” smell in the bathroom - I imagine the sinks need some drain unblocker/cleaning products! Beds are quite hard and pillows are very lumpy. On a positive note, the staff we did encounter seemed friendly - check in and check out was quick and easy. Overall, we chose this hotel purely for location and convenience, but would not choose to stay here again.

Property was great, although our access cards stopped working a few times and had to be reprogrammed by the desk staff. Room was wonderful. Spa was nice, but if your coming from outside of europe, do your research on european spas, it can be a culture shock.

Excellent location. Rooms are recently refurbished. If you don't need a lot of whistles and bells, this is a great find.