Due to an appointment with a client, I had to extend my stay in Cologne by one day during the Anuga trade fair. The other hotel was fully booked, so I found this one for a single night.
I checked in exactly at 3:01 PM, with check-in starting at 3:00. They gave me a room—it was the farthest down the corridor and practically right above the street. The room was cold (heater off), and the bathroom had a suffocating smell of air freshener and stale air. All things I could overlook.
I didn’t touch anything, went back down to reception, and very politely explained that I hadn’t touched the room, but since I had an important meeting the next morning, I asked if it was possible to move to a quieter one. The answer, with a half-smile, was: “They’re all like that—Cologne is a big city.” Ah ok.... so Hong Kong is a small town.
Excellent. Sleepless night. The next morning, I went for breakfast at 7 AM and had to wait for two members of the hotel staff to make their own coffee before I could make mine. Great customer care.