Hyatt Regency Cologne

I stayed here for four nights, and it was really pleasant. The room was quiet, comfortable, and very well kept, and overall I honestly found very little to complain about. There was one issue with the in-room service, but it was addressed immediately and resolved on the spot, which I appreciated very much. For me, this is also part of good service — not that everything is always perfect, but that when something comes up, it is handled properly. I would especially like to thank Mahmoud from the concierge for his professional assistance. He was practical, helpful, and very professional throughout, and this is exactly the kind of service I would expect from a five-star hotel. Breakfast is also of a very high quality, with a good selection and everything very well presented. All in all, I had a very pleasant stay and would gladly return.

The Hyatt Regency Cologne is a beautiful and very well-located hotel, and overall I very much enjoyed the property. The room was excellent, and I particularly appreciated the staff and service in the lounge. I have been a World of Hyatt Globalist since January 2020 and currently have 656,521 Lifetime Base Points, with the aim of reaching Lifetime Globalist within approximately the next four years. I have therefore stayed at a significant number of Hyatt properties around the world and am very familiar with the usual standards and procedures. Against that background, I found the quality of my checkout experience particularly disappointing. When I went to check out, the member of staff appeared very confused by my reservation. After two or three minutes, he asked a colleague to assist him. After looking at the reservation, she then asked me, in front of my close friend, how I had paid for the hotel. I found this highly inappropriate and embarrassing. She investigated further and then said that it appeared I had used points, but that I would need to pay for the room upgrade. This was particularly uncomfortable because I had previously explained to my friend that we had received the upgraded room because of my long-standing loyalty and Globalist status with Hyatt. It was something I had actually spoken positively about and which had impressed him. To then be told at checkout, in front of him, that I needed to pay for that same upgrade made me look rather foolish and created the impression that I had misunderstood or exaggerated the benefit I had received. I politely explained that the charge did not sound correct and suggested that she check with her supervisor. She left and returned approximately two minutes later to tell me that everything was now sorted. There was no apology or acknowledgement that incorrect information had been given to me. Mistakes can of course happen, and I have no issue with a member of staff needing to verify something they are unsure about. What I found unacceptable was the way it was handled. Asking me in front of another person how I had paid for my stay, followed by incorrectly telling me that I needed to pay for an upgrade, created an unnecessarily embarrassing situation. The fact that the matter was then corrected without even a simple apology made the interaction considerably worse. Given my experience with Hyatt over the past six years, this was one of the poorest checkout experiences I have encountered. More importantly, it seemed to highlight a training issue rather than a simple individual mistake: two members of staff were confused by what should have been a straightforward reward stay and Globalist checkout. I would strongly suggest reviewing the training provided to front-desk colleagues regarding World of Hyatt reward stays, Globalist benefits and complimentary upgrades. When there is uncertainty, I would expect the reservation to be discreetly verified internally before questioning the guest or presenting charges that may not be valid. The hotel itself is excellent, and I would happily return. However, I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as the checkout experience was significantly below the standard I have come to expect from Hyatt.

we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Cologne this week. It is very easy to get to from the Hauptbanhof in Cologne. The hotel was beautiful. The spa was lovely. We used the steam room, pool and whirlpool several times. We found it very relaxing. The staff provided us with a welcome drink, which we very much enjoyed. The one downside is that breakfast is a buffet and is a one-size-fits-all experience costing €40 per person, it was outside of our budget. We had to leave the hotel & go to a local coffee shop called Coffice Deutz. They had coffee, sandwiches, pastries & croissants.

I chose to stay with Hyatt Regency for my short visit in Cologne was because of my support to Hyatt and the view, setting aside which I am afraid I could not conclude this to be a truly flawless and positively memorable experience. Pros:- 1) The view from the corner suite room was superb, particularly at sunset, with trains running through the iconic Hohenzollern Bridge across the Rhine River. Kölner Dom was within clear sight from the window which made it perfect for photos at all times. Without any doubt, the Hyatt property was primely located at the riverside with Messe/Deutz train station reachable in five minutes by walk where regional and intercity trains served. 2) As a Globalist member, having complimentary access to the Regency Club at worldwide Hyatt Regency properties would be another huge plus. At the lounge, continental light breakfast was served in the morning while the highlight would be the evening cocktail session with selected beverages and canapés despite that the options were rather limited. Nonetheless, the river and Kölner Dom view from there was amazing. Cons:- 1) Rooms were dated with old-fashioned designs, layouts and furnishings especially the carpets which look dull and dirty. Sofas in the room and at the lounge must have been used for many years without change as they lost the usual elasticity and sitting comfort. 2) Services were mediocre. Except for Katie who handled the Regency Club operations on my arrival day as well as Adrian of the concierge team who clearly demonstrated strong passion at work and genuine intention to connect with guests, I could hardly recall anyone else who gave me a promising and lasting impression on the services. Most of them were rather inexperienced or unmotivated in my observation. For instance, at checkin the junior Front Office associate failed to grant my key card an access to the 6/F where the Regency Club was located, which required me to proceed to the reception again to have the cards reset. I also requested for 4pm late checkout which was again not noted in the system and promptly communicated to the housekeeping team, which caused them to knock at my door before 2pm attempting to clean and vacate the room. I remembered I did hang the DND tag at the door before sleep and was astonished at why the housekeeper still entered without notice knowing that I was granted 4pm late checkout which the records should show. Her excuse was, in the absence of the DND tag she entered after knocking on the door and that she only received the late checkout information at 2pm. My memory would not suggest otherwise. I suspected that once she simply identified the room was still in occupation she put the DND tag back and quickly closed the door as if nothing happened. Besides, it was absurd to be told that the late checkout status only popped up as late as 2pm of the day. Probably the housekeepers wanted to hurry up with the cleaning schedule to finish their work. Regarding the aforesaid, I already demanded Julia, the Director of Rooms, to investigate by looking into the CCTV records and reveal the facts. I was concerned about not just the miscommunications but also, in a much broader sense, the hotel’s security but also the team’s integrity. To conclude, my five-star rating under this review was given solely for the view (which was unbeatable, without any doubt) and as my support to and respect for the Hyatt brand in general which remains my top favourite along my travels for years.

Very well located with view of the Dom, amazing restaurant and nice pool and sauna to relax. I recommend it for any trip to Cologne.