Review: Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza [2024]
Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza is one of two Lindner Hotels in Cologne, Germany. I chose this hotel because of its location and the ability to redeem World of Hyatt points. It is in a local neighborhood, not the busy touristy area of Cologne near the central station and cathedral.
Lindner Hotels joined the World of Hyatt program in late 2022 under the JdV Hotels flag. JdV by Hyatt is a collection of independent hotels, so your experience will vary from property to property. JdV stands for joie de vivre, which means to enjoy life in French.
Since this hotel is part of World of Hyatt, I could pay for my stay with points earned from my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. So that is what I did!
I transferred 48,000 points from Chase to Hyatt to book six nights here—yes, just 8,000 points per night—incredible value!
But how good could a hotel charging so few points actually be? Well, let’s dive into my review!
Booking My Stay
I booked my stay directly at Hyatt.com. Cash rates are often €270 per night (or about $300 per night), but Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza is a Category 2 hotel with the World of Hyatt program, which means you can redeem as few as 6,500 points for one night!
Off-peak pricing wasn’t available for my stay, though, so I paid 8,000 points per night. Still, that was a fantastic value — nearly 4 cents per point!! That is incredible, especially considering Hilton and Marriot points are worth about half a cent.
Location & Parking
Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza is in the middle of Cologne, near the Friesenplatz underground station, Hohenzollernring entertainment district, and the Belgian Quarter area. There are tons of restaurants and nightlife hotspots nearby!
The hotel isn’t too far from the city center, Cathedral, and central train station, but is far enough away that you don’t feel the tourist energy. I loved the location for my extended stay, but it may not be the best if you’re only visiting Cologne for a day or two.
The hotel has on-site parking for €27 per day (below the hotel) and charging stations for electric vehicles.
Lobby & Check In
Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza has a large lobby, which is alive throughout the day since the check-in desk, breakfast restaurant, and hotel bar are all in the same area.
The check-in desk is to the left as you enter the hotel, and there is a dedicated check-in for World of Hyatt elite members. I don’t know German, but the hotel staff all speak English, so I was able to check in quickly.
King Room
After being assigned an incorrect room, I finally got situated in Room 304. My other room was a King Room, but it was missing the large desk I was looking forward to since I was in town for the week and needed to work! The front desk was apologetic and quickly got me into the room I wanted.
The layout feels cramped in this photo, but my room had everything I needed to work and relax. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was functional!
The corner accent chair was comfortable, and right next to a window overlooking the city.
I had plenty of room to work. The hotel desk is probably larger than the one I usually work at! I liked that it was right next to the window, which opened. This brought fresh air into the room.
Another favorite part of my room at Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza was the modern bathroom! The lighting was excellent.
The shower was the best part.
It had excellent pressure, and the water got hot fast! The side of the shower had controls, which allowed you to set a precise temperature and choose which shower head to use. You have to love that German engineering!
Dining
The hotel has two restaurants: the Veedelsmaat for breakfast and the Veedelseck Bar & Restaurant. I only stopped by Veedelseck Bar for a Kölsch after work, but I made it down to Veedelsmaat one morning to experience the hotel’s breakfast buffet. I’m glad I did! Spoiler: it was one of the best hotel buffets I’ve had.
Unfortunately, breakfast wasn’t included with my room rate, and I’m only a World of Hyatt Explorist, which doesn’t include complimentary breakfast, either (only Globalist does), so I shelled out €19.50 to try it.
As I entered the breakfast area, various juices and water immediately caught my eye. They had two infused waters, three juices, coffee, and espresso!
As you keep walking, the expansive breakfast buffet opens to an impressive selection of meats, vegetables, eggs, and more.
There was also plenty of bread and pastries…
I skipped bread and went with eggs benedict, bacon, hashbrowns, and fruit. It was delicious and a perfect way to start my day!!
I didn’t try the food at the other restaurant, Veedelseck, but I snapped a picture of the menu. They serve a variety of bar food.
There are so many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. I recommend venturing out to explore for dinner! I went to Daimyo Ramen & Sushi and Wilma Wonder to try Schnitzel for the first time, and both are around the corner from the hotel.
Amenities
The two things that impressed me most about this hotel were the gym and spa, which occupy most of the basement floor.
I have been focusing on my fitness lately and appreciate the variety of weight machines. The gym even has cold filtered water! I also stopped down here to refill my water bottles during the day.
The hotel’s spa occupies the other side of the basement, which is free for guests. While there was a massage room, it didn’t seem like the hotel offered that service. I didn’t ask about it since there wasn’t an attendant in the gym or spa.
The best part of the spa was the giant sauna — which got HOT!!! Seriously, wear slippers to the sauna, or you may burn your feet.
Closing Thoughts
This was my first time staying at a Lindner Hotel, and I was pleasantly surprised with my stay! Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza was a perfect hotel for an extended stay. The location felt like I was living in the city, and the nearby metro station made it easy to get around. While the hotel’s breakfast buffet isn’t free, it is well worth the price, and I recommend trying it. The bacon, eggs benedict, and juices were my favorite! Ugh! I’m getting hungry. Lastly, the hotel’s gym and spa are impressive, and I enjoyed using a legit sauna. Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza is a solid hotel, and I’d stay there again, especially if I’m redeeming points.
Have you stayed at Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza? What was your experience?
