Smarty Signature Room | Individually decorated, individually furnished, desk, iron/ironing board
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Reviews of SMARTY Cologne City Center

SMARTY Cologne City Center
Engelbertstrasse 33-35, Cologne, NW

Reviews

6.2
Rating 10 - Excellent. 46 out of 395 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 107 out of 395 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 120 out of 395 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 66 out of 395 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 56 out of 395 reviews" "

6.4/10

Cleanliness

7.4/10

Staff & service

5.8/10

Amenities

6.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Smarth

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The pictures are really misleading. The property can barely be used as some place where you just sleep during the nights. The rooms are nowhere close to as nice as shown in the pictures. They are old, with all kinds of stains of the walls, the washroom is decent. Overall the area is extremely tiny. Its not worth the price IMO.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

6/10 Okay

kayleigh

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Location was good but the beds are dangerous. One of the beds in room 202 would just collapse if you knocked into it. I ended up sleeping on the floor because the bed collapsed during the night. Not great. I know it was cheap but I expected a bit better. Thanks
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from S.R. Robinson, Manager on 16 Mar 2020
Dear Kayleigh, Thank you for your candid review. It is concerning to read your comments in relation to your bed. All our rooms are checked daily and any issues immediately reported so that they might be dealt with by our maintenance team for the safety and security of our guests. While we did find a slightly loose screw in the bed, our team were not informed of the bed collapsing during your stay. Please do bring any issues or concerns to our attention at the time, so we can take immediate action. Nevertheless, we are pleased that our location was to your liking. We hope to see you again in the future. Best wishes, S.R. Robinson, Manager

6/10 Okay

Adam

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Broken beds
When first entering the room there was a funny smell in the room and then when we came to put our bags on the beds we noticed that the bunk bed was extremely dangerous as the whole thing was unstable, when we notified reception they said they would check the bed and “if it was faulty” they would change our room however they told us that there was nothing wrong with the bed and it was perfectly fine even though the top bunk about 10cm in either direction and the bottom bunk was at an angle. Due to this we had to put one of the mattresses on the floor and sleep on that as the we didn’t feel safe with someone on the top bunk. The brace on the single bed was at a 45° angle and bowed when it was sat on.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from S.R. Robinson, Manager on 5 Mar 2020
Dear Adam, Thank you for your candid review. We appreciate all feedback from our guests and feel that the following may help to clarify this matter. All our rooms are checked daily and any issues immediately reported so that they might be dealt with by our maintenance team for the safety and security of our guests. After checking our records we can confirm that your rooms was checked and noting untoward was reported, also we have no information regarding any comment being made on your behalf during your stay. Nonetheless, after your departure our housekeeper reported an issue with an unstable bed and assuming this had happened during the last guest's stay, it was immediately exchanged. We hope to see you again on any future visits to Cologne. Best wishes, S.R. Robinson, Manager

8/10 Good

Henry, London

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I wouldn’t advise this as a place for solo travellers looking to meet people. It’s basically hotel rooms with as many beds crammed in as possible. It’s a little close quartered if you’re sharing with strangers! If you just want a bed for then I guess it’s alright. In my room there were no sockets near the bed, the main lighting didn’t reach the lower bunk and there’s no separate lighting near the beds. That being said, beds were comfortable, room and bathroom were clean and communal area was decent. Good value for money. I stayed during Karneval and some foul reprobate defecated in the urinal in the communal area which rather out a damper on things but that was hardly the fault of the establishment.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cute little hostel with a great location in the middle of Cologne. Nice 24 hr bar and lounge area plus kitchen.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Frederico

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice and comfy. Private room totally equipped with all you need.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would stay again
Great location
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Glenn

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cheap
Cheap and cheerful can’t fault it
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location was fairly central, place was clean, staff were friendly
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would stay again
Great place and location
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from S.R. Robinson, Manager on 17 Feb 2020
Dear Ryan, Thank you for this kind review. I am very pleased we were able to provide you with a memorable experience and to hear that our central location was just what you were looking for. We look forward to welcoming you back. Happy new year to you! S.R. Robinson, Manager

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Christopher

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Matt

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place, clean, kitchen downstairs was ok. Only thing, the room was tiny for 4 beds. Little hard to move around with bags
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

Mohammed

Business traveller, Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Experience in KÖLN
Good location, friendly staff, acceptable rooms, very narrow bathroom I didn't suggest it
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

2/10 Terrible

yoav

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I've never had such a bad experience at any hotel around the world. I paid an exorbitant price and received service during every review. First, the receptionist delayed us for close to forty minutes because we couldn't find our feed (even though I brought him the booking number from Hotles.com and the order date. Second, I ordered 2 (small) packages from Amazon and coordinated shipping for my arrival day. It appears that the hotel policy does not allow parcels for guests and the receptionist on the same day refused to accept the parcel. When we finally got to the room, we discovered a very crowded room, uncomfortable beds and an outdated and unpleasant bath.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

6/10 Okay

Denise

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not the best.
This hostel is in a cool area of Cologne, but it is very loud at night We woke up to someone blasting Cher at 3 am, and it went on for a while. Its a party neighborhood. The place itself is not in great shape, and the management was very firm about not moving my booking dates. I ended up eating the costs.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

6/10 Okay

Alex

Clean and simple but too expensive for what it is
Previously a hostel and still looking like one, bar service from a machine, not attended, at least when we were there, surrounding area nice with good links to the city centre. Very expensive when we stayed for an exhibition.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019

8/10 Good

Colin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good night’s sleep
It’s a hostel, as far as hostels go it’s clean, comfortable, quiet, and in a good neighborhood. Good value for the price.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from S.R.Robinson on 31 Jan 2019
"We are very pleased to read that you enjoyed your stay at SMARTY Cologne City Center especially due to our excellent price/performance ratio and the perfect location. We are also happy about your comment on the cleanliness and the comfort of the hostel. We would be more than happy to welcome you once again as our guest in Cologne. Best regards from Cologne, on behalf of the entire team of SMARTY Cologne City Center S.R. Robinson -Manager-"

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Super cramped rooms. Bathroom had a funky odor. The walls are very thin, so you hear everything
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from S.R. Robinson on 12 Jan 2019
We would like to thank you for your stay at SMARTY Cologne City Center and the time you have invested to convey your feedback. We do apologize for the fact that you were not fully satisfied with your visit. Please consider that due to the individual shape of our traditional building, some rooms vary in size and layout. Please also consider that due to the layout of the building sounds from other guests can not be totally excluded. Nevertheless, have we already started to implement noise protection measures. Additionally we offer earplugs for just €1,00 at the reception. We regret that you did not leave our hotel happy. Should you ever be back to Cologne, we would be more than happy if you give us a second chance. Best regards from Cologne, on behalf of the entire team of SMARTY Cologne City Center S.R. Robinson -Manager-

10/10 Excellent

Peter, Cambridge

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great value for money. Small room, but very quiet, has all that's needed, friendly staff, and very clean
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from S.R. Robinson on 28 Nov 2018
Thank you for staying at SMARTY Cologne City Center and your kind comment regarding our friendly team. We are happy to read that you enjoyed your stay especially due to our good price-performance ratio. Please come back and stay with us again. We would be happy to see you, soon. Best regards from Cologne, on behalf of the entire team of SMARTY Cologne City Center S.R. Robinson -Manager-

4/10 Poor

Sivendran

Not gd Lift wasnt working Had to go up 5 floors with my mother
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2018

4/10 Poor

Visitor, UK

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location for students or short business trave
Very small rooms. Furniture in the rooms is worn out, very old. Chair was broken I would never stay in this hotel again
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable place to settle
Generally nice and clean. But my room was too close to the alleviater, it was a bit noisy.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
BEWARE!!! DO NOT STAY
This is the WORST hotel I've been to in my lifetime. I am so appalled & disgusted, I will be filing a formal complaint. After paying a FORTUNE to stay (as there was a conference in town), we could not believe our eyes. This is not a 3 star hotel, more like a disgusting poor hostel. The room was so dirty, small, battered, mould in the bathrooms etc and NOTHING like the pictures. We feel deceived and robbed. We stayed in the room for less than 10 minutes. We were so disgusted we didn't even take off our jackets, called around town & paid yet another fortune to get another room for the night. Went downstairs and handed the key & explained our situation. The staff (who were not too bad) said they "understood" (didn't seem surprised) and asked us to contact HQ via email. They did not offer a refund & we left. Please people beware. I spend many months of the year travelling and I have NEVER seen a hotel like this. I cannot stress this enough.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

6/10 Okay

Tilley, Cornwall, UK

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Excellent price and great location. Sandra was wonderful. Would go again.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

sabrina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Affordable clean hotel
The hotel was clean and very affordable. The rooms were not very big but enough for a short stay.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

2/10 Terrible

Minna, Helsinki

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The most terrible choice
Nothing looks like in the pictures! Dirty bathroom, noisy place from the students drinking,old,broken beds,the colours worn out from the walls, bathroom and wall to wall carpets stink!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Good for a stag do
Arrived and the tall guy behind reception was so rude and told us all to shut up , took money from my bank account without telling me which made me go overdrawn
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Clean, simple, very nice staff
Simple hotel in city center. Clean & very nice staff.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

MadDen, California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Eurotrip
Was better than expected. Room was clean, bed comfortable and staff was friendly.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

8/10 Good

Annaliza

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Our reservation said city view, our view was a wall to another building. Great walking distance to city attractions

4/10 Poor

Steven, France

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Low Grade Hostel Not Hotel
Dirty, Cramped, Lack of Facilities, Laundry old and tired with stains, Breakfast very basic indeed

10/10 Excellent

Rachel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The place is fair for the money. It's more a hostel then hotel however the people at the desk were brilliant. Easy access to tram and underground.

2/10 Terrible

cost

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worst hotel I have ever stayed in.
Loud, dirty, nasty...and if Expedia wouldn't force me to write more, I wouldn't.

8/10 Good

Ciaran

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
wifi
It was a family visit

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Great location!
Very central location, easy to walk to everything.

6/10 Okay

Yvonne

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very well located but completely outdated
The hotel is situated closely to the main road of that area. Lots of pubs and restaurants are around the corner, old town is about a 30 minute walk. There is no official parking at the hotel but we found a safe and nice area at the nearby REWE to park (20€/24h). When we arrived the outside of the hotel was the first turn-off. There was graffitti on the walls and it looked old and unclean. Coming in, the staff was really friendly and helpful giving us tips for our walk to town. The check-in was without any problems. The elevator up to our rooms looks like it is at least 25 years old and is slow as hell. We waited forever. When it arrived is was barely fit to take 2 persons with luggage upstairs. The rooms where smaller than I expected but that was okay for singlerooms. What was not was the overall odor. From the second we stepped food in the hotel up to the 5th floor where our rooms were, everything smelled like the sewerage. The table and walls in the room where roughed up. The tapestry had stains and there spots on the walls and the floor. The bathroom hasn't been renovated in years either. In my friends room there was even some unflushed toilettpaper left in the toilett. There was no light directly at the bed so I had to get up at night to turn it on/off. The walls are very thin. I could here the neighbours coming home late at night and the elevator is pretty noisy. Eventought my room was not very close to the elevator, I could here it coming up and down all the time.

6/10 Okay

Eniko

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Perfect budget hotel
A good budget hotel in the city center, walkable distance from tourist atractions. Little rooms, but clean. Very noisy in the morning.

2/10 Terrible

VICTOR, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Yuck! This is the worst of the Meninger chain.
I think my bed had dirty sheets when I arrived! The next morning, when the light was better, I saw long dark hairs (mine are blonde and short) on my bed along with some light liquid stains on the bedsheet. Yuck! As you can imagine, I didn't have the breakfast. The other hotels in the chain were okay, this hostel has problems.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Basic, close to metro stations, restaurants nearby
It is basic, but it does the job. Close to transport, restaurants. Would stay again.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel was very dirty, hot and full with rude teenagers. Not a pleasant stay.

6/10 Okay

Bradley, los angeles

Liked: Staff & service
cologne hotel stay, Sep 2016
About what you expect for the price, nothing extravagant or severely deficient. Parking nearby is tricky. Front desk attendant was helpful in finding a place to park.

6/10 Okay

Gordon

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gamescom Inflated price
It was fine, there was no aircon and the room was very basic. The price was very inflated as I stayed during Gamescom which means that I was not too happy as it is pretty much posh camping. The staff were friendly and there were no problems. I understand that during this week the demand is high, however I would not stay here out of choice, only necessity.

6/10 Okay

Weekend break, London

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
A Day Trip
Room was clean, they let us check in early. Has lugage storage which was very handy for us. staff are very friendly & helpful.

8/10 Good

Antoniya

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Affordable
You get what you pay for...it's very affordable. The rooms are small,worn and somewhat noisy. The room appeared clean. Staff was very helpful. We had free parking in front. It's located downtown. Park was nearby.