Old Town View

Old Town View Overview

You know what struck me first about Old Town View? It’s actually right in the thick of things on Buttermarkt – I mean, you’re literally steps from the cathedral and all the tourist chaos, but somehow the hotel itself feels like this quiet pocket that the crowds just walk past. The building has that solid, no-nonsense German feel to it, and honestly, after staying in a bunch of sterile chain places, there was something refreshing about walking into a lobby that felt like someone’s grandfather might have designed it in the ’80s and never bothered updating it.

The location is pretty much perfect if you’re the type who likes to just wander around and stumble into things. I’d walk out in the morning and grab coffee from that little place around the corner (locals seem to love it – always packed with people speaking rapid German), then you’re basically a two-minute stroll to the Dom. The Rhein is right there too, which I didn’t expect to care about but actually ended up walking along most evenings. Parking is… well, it’s the old town, so good luck with that. But honestly, you don’t need a car here anyway. The trams run constantly, and I found myself just walking everywhere because the streets are actually interesting to look at – not like those modern districts where everything looks the same.

The rooms are what you’d expect from a solid 3-star place – clean, functional, nothing fancy but nothing to complain about either. Mine faced the street, which I was worried about because of noise, but it wasn’t too bad except for Friday night when some very enthusiastic Germans were celebrating something until about 2 AM. The shower had great pressure though (seriously underrated hotel feature), and the bed was firm in that European way that takes a night to get used to. What I really appreciated was how the staff actually seemed to know the neighborhood – when I asked about finding a good schnitzel place, the guy at the front desk gave me specific directions to this spot about ten minutes away that ended up being perfect. Not touristy, just solid local food where I was definitely the only American. The whole experience felt authentic in a way that’s getting harder to find, especially when you’re staying somewhere this central. It’s not going to wow you with marble bathrooms or rooftop bars, but if you want a reliable base for exploring Cologne without paying premium prices for being in the heart of everything, Old Town View does exactly what it says on the tin.

Old Town View Accommodations

Reviews of Old Town View

• Very Good – Tom from United Kingdom – August 2, 2025 (8/10)

  Check in was easy and they upgraded us for free. Saw we were a group of 5 adults rather than family of 5, so gave us a bigger room. Room was ideal for our needs.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing really.

• Good – Dimitra from Australia – June 17, 2025 (7/10)

  Great location in the heart of old town. Everything was clean the staff were fantastic with their communication as we unfortunately arrived just before the city evacuation.

• Good location – Joanna from Canada – May 16, 2025 (8/10)

  Location and readiness
  
  What could be improved: You can hear people and the cars downstairs and outside even at night time

• Good location but noisy – Jon from United Kingdom – April 14, 2025 (6/10)

  Clean but very basic – furniture has seen better days Location is very central but noise levels are high would recommend earplugs as nightlife goes on until at least 4am

• Very Good – Luca from Italy – March 19, 2025 (8/10)

  Kindness, support and assistance of the staff
  Position (a few minutes walk from the station, many places to eat and drink around)
  Comfortable mattress
  
  What could be improved: Single down comforter in a king bed.
  In the 'kitchen-living room', the boiler that makes noise all night, noise from the street until late. No curtain on the kitchen window (for the morning light).
  No bidet sprayer and just one towel holder in the bathroom. No gel and shampoo for the shower.

• Loved it, was great. – Andrew from Indonesia – February 16, 2025 (8/10)

  There are a lot of great restaurants in the area and we celebrated my wife's 50th birthday nearby.
  Cologne cathedral is amazing, just amazing and is very close by, about 5 mins walking, also the proximity to the Rhine river was most excellent, this would be a great place to stay in summer.
  
  What could be improved: Make sure that you understand the parking situation if you are driving as parking is a bit of nightmare and expensive. dragging your bag or multiple bags is a little painful as you can't drive up to the front door

• Ideally situated and comfortable – Lauren from United Kingdom – November 11, 2024 (8/10)

  The apartment is situated in the heart of the old town so very lively (if you prefer peace and quiet it’s not for you!) so easy to get everywhere. The man who checked us in was lovely and even helped us with our luggage. We also got an upgrade from a 2 bedroom to 3 bedroom apartment which was very nice.
  
  What could be improved: The apartment we were in was on the third floor with no lift so not ideal if you have mobility issues but we were fine.

• great location and roomy, but drunks in the street made it noisy – Gary from Australia – June 16, 2024 (7/10)

  location
  
  What could be improved: Noisy all night, lots of stairs,

• Very Good – Jacob from Germany – June 1, 2024 (8/10)

  Easy to access any location ( Walkable distance)

• What a place to stay! – Brianna from Australia – May 23, 2024 (7/10)

  Great location and good value for money. Great view!
  
  What could be improved: No toilet roll holder!
  Noise from the kebab shop till early hours
  No dryer or clothes drying rack

Surroundings