Gackenbach Vacations from $201

Great staff and great location on the canal. Perfect location!

Honestly this place is a hidden gem, from the moment I check in, to check out there was nothing I could complain about. Beds comfy, area was a perfect walk to all transport and bars. I didn’t try breakfast, but I will definitely be booking here again!

Firstly, the staff are extremely hard working, and attentive. They are a credit to the hotel. Our room was a bit tired. Very odd that the light switches were situated behind your pillows, so we kept catching these in the night. Bathroom could do with a revamp. Grout all needs cleaning, sealant needs replacing. The limescale in the bottom of the toilet needs sorting out. I know this is beyond the hotel’s control, but the area is having a lot of construction work, and they started up at 6.30am every morning!!!

Stayed here over New Year. The hotel is towards the edge of Cologne, very close to the chocolate museum, but walkable into the centre. Thought we had booked breakfast, but obviously hadn't; was given the option to purchase but at 25euros pp we decided against it! They do have a self service area with snacks and drinks which is convenient (although we used the garage shop next door instead as cheaper). The room was as expected with a mini fridge and tea/coffee facilities. The bed was very comfy and the curtains kept the light out well. We were checking out on NY Day and so check out was delayed until 1pm which was a nice touch.

Staff did not seem very happy or motivated. They were not looking to provide excellent service, just to impart information on what as possible/not possible and not ‘go the extra mile’ to create a happy customer experience. For example, the breakfast room was far too hot (multiple guests had complained of this) but senior staff were not prepared to make it cooler by opening doors/windows or turning on the air conditioning. There was no decaf coffee in the rooms and the receptionist could not provide any - this is a basic requirement in hotels. The receptionist offered to provide us with a phone number to order some ourselves! Unglaublich. The only two people who went out of their way to be helpful were two young members of staff, one female and one male, who looked as if they may have been new or temporary workers. The more senior staff were less helpful. The dining room was closed for an event on Friday 10/10 without warning or apology to hotel guests. This was very inconvenient.