Hotel Background:
The Wasserturm Hotel Cologne, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton is quite an iconic hotel which caught my eye immediately when I was looking for hotels in Cologne. Quite literally, the name of the hotel translates to “Water Tower”. It opened in 1872 and was the largest water tower in Europe at the time. Until 1930, the tower was Cologne’s primary source of drinking water. Then it was destroyed during World War II and was left in ruin for a while. It was then transformed into a luxury hotel back in 1990. At one point, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant had earned 2 Michelin Stars. Then in 2021, the Wasserturm Hotel joined the Curio Collection. The hotel contains 88 rooms and numerous event spaces for meetings or weddings.
Booking:
I was meeting a friend in Cologne for a quick two-night visit as we had both never visited Germany’s 4th largest city before. We booked our stay about 5 months ago and locked in a rate of EUR 150 per night in the 2nd category King Aqua Deluxe Room.
Ironically our stay intersected with the Cologne Carnival, which we didn’t know about until our stay was coming up. There is a street carnival which is a week-long street festival (also called the crazy days) that takes place between Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Lent) and Ash Wednesday. The streets were filled with people (both young and old) in various types of costumes. It felt very much like a huge Halloween party and there was a lot of drinking (and glass on the streets). Lots of stores and tourist attractions were actually closed on Fat Thursday, as much of the city was celebrating. Nicely, the Wasserturm Cologne is not directly on crowded city center streets, so it served as a nice oasis from the party atmosphere to rest and relax.
Takeoff Points:
Date of Stay: February 2023
Room Type: Twin Tower Duplex Junior Suite
Pros: Unique rooms, cool architecture, solid service and great breakfast. A very solid hotel stay!
Cons: Mildew smell in the hallway/foyer of the room.
Pre-Arrival:
A few days before arrival, I noticed on the Hilton Honors App that I was upgraded to a Twin Tower Duplex Junior Suite! I was very excited about this upgrade as I saw the two-story rooms online and really wanted to try one out.
Arrival + Check-In:
I arrived via train at Cologne (Koln) Central Station. I decided to take a taxi and it ran me around 12 EUR. The station is 1 mile away from the hotel, and my friend and I ended up walking back to the station which was quite an easy walk and only took 20 minutes. Also, it is just a few steps away from the Poststraße underground station. The Wasserturm Cologne is a bit removed from the center of town, which was nice for some peace and quiet during Carnival, but it is just a short walk to attractions and restaurants. We ended up just strolling around the city as everything was within walking distance.
Upon arrival at the hotel, I was quickly checked in by a friendly associate. The lobby has high ceilings, and also due to the design of the circular hotel, there are plenty of seating areas curving around the main entrance and lobby.
The lobby was cute and always had something fun for a snack laid out. Sometimes it was fruits, beer, or pastries.
The Room: Twin Tower Duplex Junior Suite
Our room was on the 4th floor, and upon entry, you have a small foyer. The Duplex Junior Suite is 50 square meters (538 square feet). The only issue I had with the hotel during my stay was that on our floor corridor, and our room’s foyer, there was a strong mildew smell. Not sure if it’s because of the hotel’s former life as a water tower, but it was a bit annoying.
To the left of the foyer, is the bathroom. Robes and slippers were waiting in the bathroom which was a nice touch. Single-use toiletries from the brand Be Different which were Made in Germany were provided.
Bathroom:
The shower had both a waterfall shower head and wand and the water pressure was quite good. The only issue was that the glass partition was a bit short in length, so often the water splashed into the floors of the bathroom.
Living Area:
The main floor of the room has a good sized living room, with a large red sofa, and 2 chairs plus a table.
Awaiting on the table were welcome snacks, a souvenir magnet and a complimentary drink voucher for the rooftop bar, Bar Botanik. These were a nice touch! The wasabi almonds were amazing.
Additionally, the living area had a closet with iron + board, TV, espresso, hot water maker and mini-bar. Teabags and espresso capsules were provided as well.
What was a cool touch was that our room had a complimentary premium mini-bar since it was a Junior Suite. They wouldn’t refill it daily, but it came stocked at check-in with a solid selection of drinks.
The view overlooked some green space and then you could see the city which was quite peaceful.
Upstairs:
Climbing up the stairs is a bit of a challenge since it is quite narrow. I know my mom would not like this room because of the staircase. So, that would be something to consider if you were to book this room.
The upstairs area contained two large Twin Beds, and they were quite comfortable. The duvet was quite thick which was nice. There was also a pillow menu which they put on the nightstand if you wanted a different type of pillow. What was a nice touch was that on top of the Type C plugs, they had USB charging next to the bed lamp. The room was very clean overall, which was great for a comfortable stay.
Breakfast:
The breakfast is served on the ground floor Wintergarden and it is quite a beautiful place to have breakfast. It was a bit too cold to eat outside, but in the summer I would love to eat outdoors here.
As a Hilton Diamond member, my breakfast was included in my stay. The quality of dishes was very good, and the breakfast offered a full buffet plus an a la carte item from the menu. We had breakfast around 8am every morning, and it never got too crowded.
Hot items at the buffet included scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, beans, sausages, hashbrowns and boiled eggs. The other section had croissants, pain au chocolat and unique offerings like honeycomb, and chia seed pudding. Additionally, I highly recommend trying one of the Multivitamin juices (Orange color). I couldn’t get enough of it!
As for the a la carte items, one day I tried the Green Omelet with avocado that was on the menu and it was quite unique and tasty. My friend had the french toast, and while not as unique, still a classic.
And the other day, the server let me know that I could also request an egg white omelet, so I did. It was quite good as well! My friend got the Skyrbowl, and she enjoyed the toppings.
Overall, the Wasserturm Cologne did a great job with the breakfast offering, and I really enjoyed it.
Bar Botanik:
The Bar Botanik is a 360° roof terrace located on the top floor of the hotel. There is both indoor and outdoor space. The outdoor area is pretty cool because you can walk around the entire tower platform in a circle and catch great views of the city. Since we visited in February, the weather wasn’t the most enticing to lounge outside, but in the summer it could be an amazing place to hang out.
Our welcome drink got us a choice between a glass of wine or the signature Bar Botanik Gin Tonic. We both opted for the Gin Tonic and were glad we did as it was quite good.
The bar also serves some snacks and light bites. We had dinner plans in the city, so we didn’t try out any of the food at the bar.
Other Amenities + Service:
There is a gym located on the 5th floor, and it was interesting as it was designed in a circle. My friend and I did a workout one afternoon, and it was quite empty (just one other person). Bottled sparkling water was offered in the gym which was a nice touch. But, I found it a bit interesting as I never would have thought to drink sparkling water after a workout. Must be a German thing. 🙂
On the 5th floor is also the Tapps Spa.
Everyone we encountered at the property was very friendly and helpful. Whether it was the staff from reception mailing out our postcards for us, to the breakfast staff and Bar Botanik team, everyone was very welcoming.
The Verdict:
Overall, the Wasserturm Cologne is a beautiful, unique property that I am happy to have stayed at. It’s in a convenient but peaceful location with excellent service and clean, well-appointed rooms. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again if my future travels end up bringing me back to Cologne.
Have you stayed at the Wasserturm Cologne before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
