After a night at the Me and All Dusseldorf, I took the train 20 minutes south to the city of Cologne (Köln), Germany. The city is known for the huge cathedral that survived WWII on the banks of the Rhine River. I read that the cathedral is the number one tourist site in all of Germany. The Hyatt Regency is on the bank just across the river from the cathedral.
The Hyatt Regency Cologne is a Category 4 property with 306 rooms. It opened in 1988 (back when it was West Germany) but has had various updates over the years. I was able to book the property for 12,000 points for a Monday night in August. As it is a Category 4, you can use a Chase award certificate for a free night at the property.
Location
The Hyatt Regency Cologne is located on the east bank of the Rhine River. It is directly next to the Hohenzollern Bridge which has a pedestrian walk way; making it easy to walk to the cathedral.
Also across the bridge is the main train station. Even more convenient is the Köln Messe/Deutz train station, which is just a 5 minute walk (and how I arrived).
Check In
The lobby is a two story open space with a staircase in the middle. It isn’t a huge lobby but the hotel isn’t particularly huge as Regency properties go.
I arrived around 1:30pm (check in is at 3) and my room was ready. It was explained that I had been upgraded to a room on the top Club floor (Floor 6), though not a suite. There are only 17 suites so don’t expect much of an upgrade.
I was told as a Globalist I could either eat breakfast in the Club lounge or else in the restaurant on the Mezzanine level. It was also explained that the contents of the mini bar were included as a Globalist. I had no problem arranging late check out.
I found all the staff interactions to be very professional and positive. I think that because it is an older, slightly dated hotel, they make up for it by having great service and offering extras.
Room
I was assigned Room 633 on the top floor of the hotel.
The room feels dated, but it is clean and well maintained. As you enter, there is a closet area on the left, followed by a mirror and the bathroom.
The main room is pretty standard for a Regency. The bed is against one wall. There is a desk with chair and a large stuffed chair. The bed is nice and the bedding is a true duvet cover (not a sheet sandwich).
There were plenty of plugs but no USB ports as this is an older property. I’m sure they’ll add those in the next renovation, though it would be nice to have some sort of power station next to the bed. Fortunately the concierge has adapters available to use for free.
The bed faces a TV that is on top of the mini bar, safe, and coffee set up.
The contents of the mini bar were free as a Globalist. Shortly after checking in a staff member brought me some bottles of ice tea as a welcome amenity. There were also four bottles of still water in the room when I checked in.
Of the three Hyatt properties I stayed in German, the Hyatt Regency Cologne had the best air conditioning that kept the room cool. I did keep the curtains drawn when not in the room to try to keep some of the heat out.
Probably the highlight of the room is the view of the river, bridge, and cathedral.
Bathroom
Like the rest of the room, the bathroom is outdated but well maintained.
It has a separate tub and shower. The shower only has a wall mounted shower head.
Breakfast
I chose to have breakfast in the restaurant rather than the Club lounge. Both are a buffet, but the restaurant has a few more choices (and egg station).
It was a nice spread with plenty of options; though not a huge number of hot dishes (for example they only had pancakes, no French Toast or waffles).
The Club lounge offered a smaller buffet.
The Club lounge also offered evening snacks and wine/beer from 5-7pm.
While there is no pool at the property, there is a fitness center off of the lobby.
Overall
I was impressed by the Hyatt Regency Cologne. Yes, it is an older property that needs an update. However, the service provided and the amenities (an actual Regency Club, included mini bar) are clearly a priority to make up for it. The location and the views are fantastic. If you want to be in the center of town it is a short walk across the bridge and you are there.
