SethLevy

I just stayed here. The weather was excellent! The days were warm and sunny and there was a veyr nice breeze at night. Unfornately the AC was not working very well, (it just blowed air, neither cool or hot) and the windows do not open open. All in all, the room was uncomfortably hot. Had it been warmer outside, I would have had to check-out of the hotel The Dom Hotel looked good, or maybe because it was just that the windows opened. Something to think about if you find yourself in Koln in the summer.

With that said, the price was right (Euro 112) and they took my suite upgrade. RC was very small and smokey.

Sleeping without air from the windows or AC was really hard. I have been to Europe before in the summer and know AC is an issue, but at every hotel I have stayed in at least the windows open so you can get some air.

peter42

I have to disagree here, even though the HR Köln is by not one of our favourite Hyatts in D.
The RC is fairly large actually, never had a problem to find seats there, most of the time it was fairly empty and was staffed really good.

In Europe the windows in hotels do not open all way for security reasons.

SethLevy

The windows at this hotel do not open at all. And the RC is small, it is actually the lobby and hallway area, in fact I had the first suite off the lobby, they set up tables in the hallway just across from my door. I never said there was a problem finding a seat, just that compared to the other Hyatts, in particlar, the RC in Berlin, this one was small and very smokey.

By the way, the windows open all the way at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, Hyatt Mainz and Hyatt London. They opened all the way at the Dom Hotel Koln and at the Hilton in Koln. All the way in most hotels in Frankfurt, and at the Park Hyatt Hamburg, which is an excellent property.

Perhaps you are thinking about another Hyatt or windows at hotels in another continent?

Raffles

Slightly OT: but when I stayed at the Westin Dublin last year and rang down to ask where the key was to open the windows, I was made to sign a disclaimer form saying that the hotel would not be liable if I accidentally threw myself out! The world has truly gone mad.

SethLevy

I have had that happen before at hotels, that the windows are locked and you need a key to open. But at the Hyatt Cologne, the windows were never made to be opened, there is no key, no secret code, they just do not open. Kind of like some tall buildings where the design of the building does not allow for the windows to be opened. In the US, who cares, because the AC usually works.

Muerz

Actually I too have to concurr SethLevy as I personally like all the German properties and I haven't had a bad stay yet to report in Cologne...

Football Fan

The lounge in Cologne is not really much smaller than the one in Berlin, but the one in Berlin is MUCH MUCH nicer. First of all, the staff is way friendlier. Secondly, the food is better. There is a little library and there is a TV. In Cologne, you have a nice view of the dome, but the whole lounge is like a hallway in which they just put up a few chairs and tables, and threw some newspapers on a desk.

peter42

We were in Köln not long ago and I am very sure, that at least one of the windows (I think one of the small ones) could be opened partly.

Apart from that I agree that the Hyatt in Berlin, Hamburg and Mainz are nicer.

Expedient

I was staying there last weekend, so here are my impressions:
* The Window in my RC corner room opened nicely; Windows in another room indeed did not open at all. Heat was no a problem at all.
* Staff was excellent
* Regency Club was fairly large (maybe 3 times bigger than at Hyatt Regency Miami), feels open and airy, wih no smoke that time at all, has my favorite evening snacks among all German Hyatts and has a great view over the Rhine to the Dome - whereas food and view at Grand Hyatt Berlin are inferior.

peter42

I prefer the food and service in Berlin over Köln, but the views in Köln and Mainz are far better of course.

SethLevy

The hotel has confirmed with me that there are only a few rooms that have windows that actually open due to the design of the hotel. They have since apologized for the problems I experienced with the AC, the window situation and the smoke in the RC. They have also given me a refund for the 2 nights and invited me back at their expense. I find this an acceptable resolution to my concerns. However, I will, of cources, not return to the hotel in the summer months and will request a room with a window that opens.

Threy

Ironically I also stayed at the Regency Cologne last weekend, unfortunately without knowing that two other FT members were also there.

Regency Club is certainly not small and not really smoky and I am surprised that it was tough to cool down the room, cause the outside temperature last weekend barely touched 20° C.However I seldomly find an AC unit within europe that is comparable to the ones used in the US, however the ones in europe are not as noisy, but certainly don`t have the power...

Was also upgraded to a suite using a cert. and had a nice stay.Evening snacks were presented extremely nice as usual and the breakfast until 2 p.m on sunday mornings is just perfect as well as the quality of the bakery items...

Service in the Regency Club just brilliant as usual, views simply amazing !

Threy

Had a couple of stays there this year again and level of service has reached an all time high last week, simply excellent.

The food presentation in the RC in the evening was outstanding as usual and the breakfast lacking the salmon, but otherwise just fine.

The aircondition did not produce any warm air and is in need of replacement, cool air in summer is okay for European standards.

Otherwise the property is still preferable to the newest five star properties in Cologne, the Hilton and Intercontinental.

For European standards the property is showing its age in comparison to the other hotels, if you compare it with US properties however it would still be rated higher easily than 95 % of all US properties, especially from the service standpoint

RichardInSF

Just checked into this property and they were kind enough to upgrade me to a suite which has many windows and yes, one of the smaller ones does open -- but only one. Very fine room, especially for a HR. Wish I could stay here longer than two nights!

Something that might make it worthwhile to consider using a suite upgrade certificate here is the following letter that was in my room when I arrived (which I have extracted the key parts from):

"It is our pleasure to introduce a new service to you, which we offer exclusively to the guests staying in our suites. Together with our automative partner 'Audi AG' we invite you to make use of a luxurious Audi A 8 limousine that you can use for a trial drive through the city or the surrounding Rhineland.

"Just contact our concierge who will be happy to assist in co-ordinating the desired times. In case there are more requests than cars, he will follow the principle 'First come, first serve.' When making use of this complimentary offer, we kindly ask for your approval to pass your name and address on to our partner, Audi AG."

It might be well worth the hassle to take a drive in this car -- I won't likely have time to find out, but others might enjoy it! Of course, I don't know how long this promotion will last. The letter is a form letter dated December, 2005.

peter42

They offer this service quiete a while already.