Germany Cologne Park Plaza

[Chris26WI]

Was hoping for the Renaissance, when I got this hotel... which is quite dislocated... in Cologne-Muehlheim, not far from the A3 exit Cologne-Muehlheim, but quite far from the city center (it's on the other side of the Rhine river), about 15-20 minutes to go by car. The hotel is quite new, about 4-5 floors, and built with redstone and quite a lot of windows. In the same building there's is a large supermarket ("HIT") offering enough parking space (free) apart from the hotel garage (11 EUR/night). The hotel is situated along the "Clevischer Ring" - a main road in Muehlheim, quite busy, so it's quite loud, if you get a room facing the main road. The rooms don't have air-condition and due to the quite large window area, it will be hot there in summer. So during summer this can be noisy place (in winter you can close the windows which are sufficiently noise-blocking).

The rooms (Superior) are quite large, and quite modern. I had a room with two single beds, a comfortable chair and table, cable TV (+pay-TV), minibar and bathroom with tub/shower. Bathroom is quite small. The decoration in the room is quite simple... only one picture, the rest is quite boring. Room service is available till 10.30 pm, but they charge 3.85 EUR extra for each order (room delivery charge). The room was not 100 % clean (some "old blood" on some of the switches), but still ok. Not a lot of "extras" in the room (no bathrobes, no steam iron, no trouser press, not a lot of bath amenities etc.). They provided me only with one large shower towel and one small one (though priceline books rooms for two, and they gave me two keycards). Minibar prices somewhat above the level of the minibar prices in the Renaisance! Room service prices above Renaissance level as well!!!

Check-In was not very friendly and they first programmed my key-card only for one night - though I was telling them I will stay 2 nights. Priceline no problem; officially of course no breakfast included (I didn't take it), but not sure, maybe you can just walk in the b/f room and just take a b/f without beeing charged for it, as apparently all official rates seem to include breakfast.

All over, it's a quite acceptable, "cold" hotel, comfortable beds, and quite big room, but thats all, and the location is really no comparision to the Renaissance or the Crowne Plaza. The level of this hotel is officially 4-star, but I would definetly say it's not in the same league as the Renaissance or the Crowne Plaza! That's why I will refrain from trying 4-star priceline-bookings for Cologne in the future. Don't want to end in this hotel again.

The official internet rates for the Parkplaza started from about 79 EUR incl. b/f for the same room, only slightly more I paid via Priceline! So really not a good priceline deal!!