Back in July, I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Cologne, Germany with Essence Cosmetics for the launch of their Bloggers’ Beauty Secrets range.We were in Cologne for two nights and on our first night we stayed at the Art’Otel which was all arranged by Essence. We decided to stop for a second night so that we could properly explore the city and we were kindly given a complimentary stay at the Lindner Hotel City Plaza which is just a short walk from the centre of Cologne and 1.1km away from the Köln Dom (cathedral).
The hotel didn’t look like much on the outside, it was just your average red brick building, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect even though I knew it had a four star rating. Once we got inside, we could instantly tell that this hotel was something special, there was a luxurious looking bar, a huge restaurant and there was even a hammock up in reception. Once we’d checked in and were given our key cards, we headed up to the fifth floor to have a look at our room.
Our First Class Double room was amazing with a huge double bed complete with a cushion in the shape of the Köln Dom (which I managed to fit into my suitcase and now lives in the corner of my bedroom!) and the room was so light and airy with an armchair by the window, which was the perfect place to sit and read at. Soon after we got into our room, there was a knock at the door and a couple of members of staff bought us a cake and some fruit to welcome us to the hotel which was a really nice touch.
As we were staying in a First Class Double room, this meant that we had 24 hour access to the First Class Lounge which was also on the fifth floor of the hotel. We decided to check this out straight away and were completely overwhelmed by how nice it was. We were able to help ourselves to snacks and drinks (including hot drinks and alcohol) whenever we wanted and there was also a roof terrace which was lovely. We spent a bit of time in the evening on the terrace with a hot chocolate and our laptops catching up with some work. The First Class Lounge also offers hot meals in the evening and a buffet breakfast in the morning which is all included in the price of your room.
We chose to go down to the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast in the morning and I think that was the best decision we could have made. From my experience, German breakfast buffets are absolutely delicious! There was so much to choose from but I ended up piling my plate with scrambled eggs, streaky bacon, pancakes and maple syrup with a coffee to wash it all down with. This was honestly the best hotel breakfast I have ever had and I’d stay at the Lindner Hotel City Plaza again just for the breakfast alone!
When it was time for us to check out, the staff behind reception allowed us to keep our luggage there while we went out to explore the city one last time. They even called us a taxi when it was time for us to go and get the train back to Dusseldorf airport. Everyone was really accommodating and really made us feel welcome. If I’m ever in Cologne again and I can afford it, the Lindner Hotel City Plaza will be at the top of my list of hotels to stay at.
