Astor und Aparthotel - Cologne, Germany     

Great location - one block off of main street. Hotel is in an older building but interior has been completely updated with very upscale details - lots of marble and tile, all new carpet and modern furnishings. I was given a room at the back and it was very private - never saw or heard another guest and it opened onto a secluded ivy covered courtyard. It was vault like quiet. Breakfast was very impressive - huge selection. There are some busy bars and cafes on the street, so I suppose a room at the front may be a little noisier, but my room at the back was just great!

I'm perplexed by the reviewers who use words like "gem" and "perfect" for this hotel. On the good side: value ($160 for one night for a two-person double, April '08, thru Orbitz); an appealing breakfast room with plenty of food and drink options; a very polite and helpful staff; free 24-hour Internet in the lobby and breakfast room, and attempts at a modern, bright, chic decor in the rooms. (I can't comment on the location for exploring Cologne, since we were there as a layover, not for sightseeing.) On the disappointing side: The hotel's exterior is ugly, ugly, ugly (I was hoping that the taxi wouldn't stop at THAT building, but it did); some of the common spaces were scruffy and dark; our non-smoking room smelled like stale cigarette smoke and there was an ashtray with complimentary matches on the desk. Also, the information provided by the hotel in its "Welcome to Cologne" pamphlet was so outdated that it nearly ruined the morning's plans: It said that the tram from the main train station to the airport would take 40 minutes, whereas in fact the S-Bahn (wonder how long ago the S-Bahn was built?) from the main train station to the airport only takes 15 minutes. (I'm glad I double-checked the DB site online.) Not a grievous error, but annoying. To sum up, we got our money's worth, especially with the weak dollar, but not a penny more.