We just had a one night stay at the Dom, and were delighted with it. It is a boutique hotel in an enviable location in Cologne, ideal for the first time visitor. Hotel staff are well educated on the Starwood program; I heard a couple times how they give platinums the best available room.

Logistics: Frankfurt Airport to Hotel
We arrived at the Frankfurt Airport, and took the train to Cologne. We had heavy luggage as we are at the start of a long trip. There are several places where luggage can be checked at FRA. It costs 3.6 euros/day; 1 minute over and you pay for the second day. Trains to Cologne leave from track 6 of the long distance train section of the station.

We bought our tickets in advance which substantially brought down the price. We paid 58 euros each plus 2 euros for a seat assignment per ride. In hindsight, I could likely have saved the 4 euros for seats; still, I have no idea how heavily booked the train is come the summer tourist season. It was a one hour ride to Cologne, with the train reaching speeds of 300 km/hour.

It was an easy walk from the train station to the hotel, no more than 5 minutes. As you leave the terminal, look for the cathedral which is immediately adjacent up a flight of stairs. (There is an elevator you can use.) Walk to the right which takes you to the front of the cathedral, then across the front and to the far side. The hotel faces the square to the side of the cathedral.

Hotel
We were given a room the hotel labels a suite, room 104. This is a very spacious corner room which looks out over the cathedral and the adjacent square. It opens unto a balcony/terrace that runs the length of the hotel on the square facing side.

Toiletries in the room were the standard Starwood brand.

The hotel restaurant has a sun room that runs the length of the hotel, where breakfast is served. It has a large seating area outside. There is an intimate bar, named the Ustinov Bar, after Peter Ustinov who was a frequent guest and bar habitue.

Local Area
The hotel is ideally sited for tourism. Across the square is Römisch – Germanisches Museum, with the Ludwig Museum a building behind it. Museums are closed on Mondays. The hop on hop off bus picks up on the train side of the Cathedral. It costs 10 euros for a complete ride, or 15 euros for hop on/hop off.

We had dinner with a local friend at Peters Brauhaus, Muehlengasse 1, an easy walk from the hotel. She knows that Americans adore ancient bulidings since we have none. This has been a beer hall for over 460 years. It is asparagus season, so that was available along with a number of traditional dishes.

Conclusion
We would happily return to this hotel if we find ourselves in Cologne again. I like the intimacy of the hotel, its location, and its cordial staff. And the room overlooking the cathedral was terrific.