After one year I’m finally comfortable travelling abroad again, and my first stop is Cologne in Germany. In fact I’m desperate to make use of the Amex Hyatt cashback offer, which plays a big part in me deciding where to go 😉
Cologne has its own airport albert quite small and only Ryanair flies here from Stansted. Instead I choose to fly into Dusseldorf on BA and Cologne is just 30-60 minutes away from its airport, depending on the train you take. The Hyatt Regency is only 5 minutes’ walk from Köln Messe/Deutz station.
The hotel is located on the “wrong” side of the river, which reminds me of the Hilton in Newcastle. All the attractions, shops and restaurants are on the west riverbank so it’s not very convenient for tourists, however it has the advantage of being much quieter, and owning the amazing view of the city centre including the Cologne Cathedral.
I booked a Hyatt Prive rate, which comes with room upgrade, free breakfast and $100 credit. Unfortunately the current 3-for-2 sale only includes suites, and I can’t really justify the extra cost.
Being a measly Explorist, I’m granted a one-level upgrade to a King Room with River View.
The room is okay, although lacking in any innovation or spirit.
Some chocolate as a welcome gift:
The river view is impressive, and I’m thankful to my free Explorist status.
The Hyatt has four restaurants open at the moment. One Italian and one fast-food in the cubic houses in front of the hotel:
A lobby bar on the ground floor, and the main Glashaus restaurant where breakfast is served.
If you don’t have a river view room, the Glashaus is worth visiting.
The breakfast spread is good with a few cook-to-order options. Sunday morning is very busy though and service is bit chaotic.
I had dinner here to use my €85 credit. I ordered Pluma Iberica which turned out to be excellent – in fact it’s one of the best pork I’ve ever had in my life!
Hotel residents can book to use the spa. There’s no sauna or steam room, but the swimming pool and jacuzzi are decent enough.
I read good things about the Regency Club but unfortunately I don’t have access to it. Overall the hotel is fine, although for a five-star I’d expect more elements in the room. If you prefer to stay in the city centre and don’t mind the view, Hilton Cologne might be a better choice.
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