Residenz am Dom Boardinghouse Apartments

Do not make the same mistake we did. This "apartment" is not just in a block of residential apartments - it is an assisted living block for the elderly. I should have known when the "Spa" had a sign for physiotherapy!! This was not a cheap accommodation option, it was pretty much aligned to other actual hotels in the area. So we were VERY surprised after check-in to discover that 90% of the residents were elderly and there were even carers in uniforms around the building. The room itself was entirely beige and did not smell fresh or clean. Sadly we had already checked in so we lost all of the money we had paid for 2 nights (around 400 euro) but we could not have stayed even a single night in the apartment. I do think the website is misleading, although it mentions it is a block of residential apartments at no point did it say it was geared towards assisted living for the elderly. The underground parking is also incredibly difficult to navigate and not well signposted once you are in. There are different lifts that you need to take to get to where you need to go so we actually spent around 15min going up and down lifts and along different corridors before we even got to reception or indeed our apartment. Very disappointed and would absolutely not recommend. I am not particularly fussy in general, as long as the room is clean and relatively fresh. However, given the cost of the apartment per night I would have expected so much more but even the basics were not covered. Sadly this has been an expensive lesson learned.

Haha, okay, so you have to know that this is actually a senior residence :D it was a bit confusing when we arrived. Cologne was relatively expensive that weekend due to the Helene Fischer concert. Therefore, I am not sure if we paid the normal price or more. In any case, we got a whole apartment with a bedroom, living room, and (accessible) bathroom, which was great! We could also use the pool (which is shared with the Lindner Hotel in the same building), which fortunately was relatively cool (a refreshing break at 104 degrees Fahrenheit outside!). The location right by the train station and cathedral is of course also great. I only give one star less because there was no air conditioning, which was borderline for us given the outside temperatures. For seniors, this can become dangerous...

Everything was excellent. My flat was big, clean, and bright. Private bathroom and a private kitchen were available. There was also a balcony. I used the gym and the swimming pool areas, which were just amazing. Super kind staff. I will come back!