Cologne, Germany’s fourth largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, is the kind of place that charms you with its quirkiness and jolly outlook. From its hearty local cuisine and free-flowing Kolsch beer to its reputation for art and culture, there are a number of reasons why Cologne makes the perfect weekend city break.
I’ve always been curious about Cologne but what really sealed the deal was checking out one of the newest properties from 25hours Hotels. This game-changing group never fails to amaze with its creativity and 25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne is out of this world… literally!
Centrally located in Cologne’s Friesenviertel, The Circle occupies a curvy postmodern building, in the rotunda of the former Gerling insurance company. It has to be one of the most conceptual hotels I’ve ever stayed in, with designer Werner Aisslinger taking inspiration from the spirit of discovery in the 1960s and future utopias.
The shiny, enormous lobby is filled with social spaces including a record store, the 25hours Things Shop, filled with cool souvenirs, plus NENI Deli offering hot drinks, light bites and a comfy co-working for hotel guests and locals. In the middle of the lobby is a nostalgic control centre that pays homage to analogue times gone by with a typewriter, fax machine, old fashioned telephones and big red buttons that are too tempting not to press.
Check-In
While waiting to check in, you can even take some selfies with robots, daleks, a pink space ship and the astronaut casually hanging out in front of a galaxy backdrop near the lifts. Seriously, lobbies don’t get much better than this!
The Room
Our Large Room on the seventh floor was an industrial-chic dream with lots of concrete and light wood, high ceilings and sweeping views over the city. While retro-futuristic in style, it was reassuringly high-tech with a large Smart TV, strong air-conditioning, high-speed wifi and a UE Boom Bluetooth speaker.
Other cool room features include the most amazing galaxy rug, a FREITAG tote bag to use during your stay, a complimentary test drive of a MINI and a Schindelhauer bicycle in the room, so you can take a scenic route of the city curated by bike experts specially for the hotel.
Most importantly, the king-size bed was extremely comfortable with cool cushions and those signature 25hours Hotels pillows embroidered with cheeky messages.
The fabulous open-plan bathroom on the back had a very powerful walk-in rainfall shower, fluffy towels, slippers and full-size natural STOP THE WATER WHILE USING ME! bathroom products. There’s also a fabulous sauna on the seventh floor if you have time to relax and unwind.
Dinner at NENI
That evening, there was no question that we would be dining at NENI Cologne, Haya Molcho’s cool Balagan-style restaurant that’s become synonymous with 25hours Hotels. If you love spicy, smoky sharing dishes with plenty of dips, then this place is a must!
We enjoyed some fresh sourdough bread with za’atar yoghurt and olives and started with an all-time favourite, Moroccan cigars – crispy filo pastry filled with spiced beef and pine nuts. NENI-style kebab, cooked on the robata grill, was smoky and delicious with juicy beef-lamb kebab, Har Bracha tahina, parsley, baharat, grilled vegetables and pita bread.
We also couldn’t resist the Jerusalem Teller – tender grilled strips of chicken with spices, fresh herbs, humus, Har Bracha tahina, bell pepper, onion and pita bread. A bowl of crunchy Sweet potato fries with a piquant mango aioli finished everything off nicely. For an after-dinner drink, just wander along to the hotel’s Monkey Bar, one of Cologne’s hot spots.
Breakfast
In the morning, it was back to the eighth floor for breakfast with a view over the city. The breakfast buffet at NENI is straightforward and plentiful with an emphasis on quality.
We grazed on excellent scrambled eggs and bacon, cured meats, smoked salmon and herring, local cheeses, flaky pastries, a variety of freshly-baked breads, yoghurt with granola and seeds and fruit juice. There’s also very good coffee, proper loose leaf teas and fresh juices.
25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne is a real treat for design lovers, where space exploration is not only possible but super stylish. Whatever brings you to Cologne, make The Circle your inspiring urban retreat.
For more information and booking, visit: www.25hours-hotels.com
Chérie City was a guest of 25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne
All photos by Chérie City
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