After a long drive from our previous destination, it was a relief to see Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg in our view. When we pulled into the hotel court, I felt like we were pulling up to a royal palace. Considering the hotel was originally built as a castle for Prince Elector Johann Wilhelm II of Duesseldorf and his wife, Maria-Luisa of the Medici family, my thought wasn’t that far off.

Our rooms were ready upon arrival, so, once we had our keys, we headed up to check out our home for the next two nights. As I stepped through the door to my room I was greeted by a wall of mirrored closets on the right side of the hallway and a spacious bathroom on the left.

Continuing in the bathroom, there was a double sink vanity with a big mirror, a soaking tub with a shower and a separate area for the toilet. In the room, the king bed sat on the left with a living area to the right. Although the two spaces were in the same room, there’s the option to draw the curtains to close off the living area from the bedroom. In front of the bed was one of my favorite features of the room — the lift TV. I’ve always thought they were cool, as the only places I’ve ever seen those TVs are in movies or shows.

In the living area, there was a full living room set with a couch, coffee table and two sitting chairs. A little further into the room was a grand desk and a mounted TV on the wall. There was also a mini fridge stocked with beer, wine, soda and water, which was free to enjoy.

During our stay, we dined at a couple of the hotel’s restaurants and bars. On our first night, we started with drinks and appetizers at the lobby bar before heading to eat at Trattoria Enoteca, which was delicious. In the morning, I headed to Castle Restaurant Jan Wellem for the breakfast buffet. Although the breakfast wasn’t included with the stay, I highly recommend trying it at least once. On our last night, we ate at Restaurant Vendôme, where we went on a culinary journey filled with delicious dishes and drinks. Lastly, we ended the night with a nightcap at Salvador Dali Bar.

Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg is the perfect hotel for visitors to Cologne looking for a quiet retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The city is easily accessible from the hotel and lies just a quick subway or car ride away. It’s so close, you even have a clear view of Cologne Cathedral from certain points in the hotel.

Althoff Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg

Kadettenstraße, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
tel 49 2204 420