MEININGER Hotel Cologne City Center

Meininger City Hostel Cologne is both a hotel and hostel, and it has the best of both worlds. It's very modern with bright, bold colors everywhere. Key cards provide entrance to the main door and the rooms, so it definitely feels safe. This is not the kind of hostel that feels like you're staying in someone's apartment, but it's not impersonal either. It has a very nice dining room for the free buffet breakfast, which includes a range of cold-cuts, cheese, fruit juices, bread, coffee, and cereal.

The Location

Finding this hostel can prove challenging, especially at night. Because it is relatively new hostel, few taxi drivers seem to know of it, or the street that it is on, so come prepared with good directions. It is on a quiet street, which is great for those times when you actually want to sleep! Getting there from the train station involves riding the underground, taking a tram, then walking a couple blocks from the tram stop, but it's actually very quick and relatively easy if you know where you are going.

The neighborhood is very young and hip, with numerous bars and all types of restaurants and abundant nightlife. It's definitely the best area in Cologne for active nights, and the area around the hostel feels safe, though a bit quiet and dark. It is a pleasant twenty-minute walk into the old town area and the shopping district -- this provides a great opportunity to see more of the city, though you can take a quick tram ride instead.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The rooms are spotless, with maid cleaning service daily. The rooms are not the most spacious, but the incredibly comfortable beds with soft down covers totally made up for the small size of the rooms. The rooms are more like a hotel than a hostel, with very nice, new Ikea furniture -- chairs, lamps, and bedside tables, and even TVs and city guidebooks in the rooms for the guests. There are no lockers in the rooms, but the key card system for getting into the rooms provides some peace of mind as far as security. Every room has a private bathroom of a decent size, and they even provide free soap that works brilliantly for hair and body (definitely a plus)! Many of the rooms also have great color accents and cool artwork, with huge windows looking out over a pleasant, quiet street.

Common Spaces

The M Bar is the main space for meeting other travelers. It's not a crazy party place, but it is busy at night with backpackers, has moderately priced beer, and it's a great place to meet up with a group before heading out to the other bars in Cologne. The common room has a TV, stereo, foosball table, and video games. The internet here is way overpriced, and it's easy to find cheaper internet cafe's throughout the city.

Summary

This is a really nice hostel, clean and friendly, with a good included breakfast, and a convenient location.

— Informe exclusivo de Hostelz.com
October 2007