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Nestled among the church spires of Cologne, Germany, not far from the Rhine River, stands the exemplary Excelsior Hotel Ernst. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, this historic hotel, one of only a few buildings in these parts to survive World War II, has been part of the cityscape for nearly 140 years. Its luxurious rooms and excellent service have earned it both a loyal following and flawless reputation, as well as inclusion in Conde Nast Travelerâ€(TM)s Gold List.
Excelsior Hotel Ernst
Trankgasse 1-5, Domplatz
Cologne, Germany
P50667
Nearest Airport: CGN
We only spent one night here while traveling through Europe, but it's a fabulous hotel. It's right across the street from the Kolner Dom and basically next to the Koln HBF. Our room (I think it was a Deluxe Room) was huge. The bathroom was also spacious, and we enjoyed the bathrobes, too. It's a great place to stay if you want to explore the city. They also arranged a cab to come get us the next day to take us to Koln Messe/Deutz to catch our train.
Mary P - Rochester Hills, Michigan, United States
I had the honor of staying at Excelsior Hotel Ernst during my first visit to Cologne and I could not have chosen a better hotel for my stay! The hotel is located right next to the Cologne Cathedral and Cologne Central Station as well as other tourist attractions. The hotel itself (lobby, lounge, stairs, elevator, etc) is gorgeous. The employees are very kind and are helpful if you need assistance with your room or if you need tips on what activities to do during your stay in the city. I reserved a Junior Suite and I was blown away by what I saw. The suite was renovated the previous year and actually looked better than what I saw on the website. Everything in the room felt brand new and it was very spacious. This hotel is perfect for any tourists visiting Cologne!
David O
Would definitely recommend this hotel - particularly if you are arriving/leaving by train as the station is just a few minutes walk. Our room was large and comfortable, although perhaps a touch faded. The public areas are grand and there is a charming terrace. Ate in the bar (their restaurants were either fully booked or closed) - nice Riesling and delicious wiener schnitzel. Breakfast excellent in the restaurant. No criticisms really but the area around the Dom and station are a bit rundown and depressing.
202grahamn
This is a classic 5 star European Hotel. The service is unmatched (a special shout out to Mr. Waheb Kashmot at the front desk), the rooms are immaculate, and the location can't be beat. If you can, get a room with a view of the cathedral. Valet parking is a big help too. I highly recommend this classy and sophisticated hotel.
DocAdvil - Nashville, Tennessee
We were so excited to come to what we hoped would be a really luxurious stay as the price matched that. I have given it 3 stars against what a 5* hotel would be, this would be a good 4*. To start with positives, the room was lovely with nice linens and comfy bed. Very clean and good size bathroom albeit with a narrow high tub you had to climb into for the shower - hard if not tall and on your own. The Italian lady in the bar was charming excellent service from her, the best we encountered. Breakfast was all you would expect although coffee not good and you need it included in your rate as completely over priced. The breakfast hostess was also charming. The annoyances came with the miscommunication between housekeeping and reception. We had to ask for things several times and things were not replaced for example crockery, tea bags and shower caps. Yes little annoyances but when they happen each time you come back to the room it grates. We took out an umbrella but upon opening it later found it was full of holes - there was no apology when we later returned it and pointed that out. The worst thing is that the hotel allows guests to smoke within their roped cordon at the front door and then drop butts on the floor and take their glasses outside - giving the first impression of a hostel rather than a 5* hotel. It means the lobby smelt of cigarette smoke rather than luxury. When we brought it up we met a rather defensive well in Germany people can smoke outside, well they can in the UK too but a 5* hotel would offer guests a smoking area that was not on the carpeted front door and not allow guests to take drinks there as if it was a pub. This is not a leading hotel of the world - it could be though - so it is a shame. We have stayed in other 5*s and this just falls short.
JonesEngland - England
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