Arde Hotel

Check-in late in the evening went smoothly, although the procedure for calling the key box was a bit complicated. You could have sent the instructions and code in advance by email, for example, so I had to make a phone call while standing in the rain.The room was small and had no outside window, just one onto a hallway area with a glass roof. So during the day you have to choose between indirect sunlight without privacy or artificial light, which is annoying. On the evening of arrival, the ventilation system above the door also didn't work, it apparently had no power and therefore didn't respond to the remote control. And without said ventilation, the room quickly smells unpleasant, which was really no fun on the first night. I also have my doubts about the hygienic condition of the carpet. The next day, while I was away, room service apparently connected the ventilation system to the power supply.The furniture is functional, but some of it is very old and visibly worn. The wardrobe could not be locked because there is no latch for its lock. After all, the bathroom looks like it was renovated not so long ago. You should do the same with the actual room.The technical equipment is mediocre. There is a power socket at the desk, but you can only use it if you unplug the table lamp. There is another socket along the side wall, but without any useful storage - there is a clothes hanger in front of it. There is no socket near the bed, and there is one near the mirror in the bathroom.The Wi-Fi reception was okay, but the bandwidth was pathetic, especially in the evening. Often below 5 mbps, which will make teleworking very difficult in 2024.However, the configuration of the WLAN is even worse. It exudes North Korea vibes. The network administrator has turned the Google Safesearch settings to the maximum, and there is also another filter running that blocks anything that could be suspicious in any way. This not only means that "spicy" sites cannot be accessed, but also most dating apps cannot be used, some social media platforms such as Reddit cannot be accessed and even individual YouTube videos (e.g. the gameplay trailer of the action game) cannot be accessed. Role-playing game Gothic Remake) cannot be played.I suspect the whole thing runs under the preamble “child protection”, but I am of the opinion that this falls under parental responsibility. There are so-called “parental controls” on laptops, smartphones, etc. that parents or guardians can set up so that younger children can only view age-appropriate content. If you want to offer this as a hotel, then optionally and via an account system, which does not exist in the Arde Centro (no accounts, everyone uses the same password for WiFi access). Preventively patronizing all hotel guests and only offering internet access in U12 mode is, simply put, an impudence.The next day I was able to see that the outside of the hotel looked about the same as my impression of the room on the first night. It seems to me that people here stopped investing some time ago and have only been doing the bare minimum since then.Customers have little choice during trade fairs anyway because everything is fully booked. The Arde Centro also uses the opportunity to charge moon prices. Sales, which obviously do not flow back into the hotel. It's a shame, because the location, a few minutes' walk from the city center, Cologne Cathedral and the main train station, is actually very good.

The house is in need of renovation. You would have to do a lot in the house to be able to call guests guests.

As soon as I walked into the room, everything smelled of old furniture and mold. It's way too small for a room for 2! The floor is stained as are the walls. …

This is the worst hotel in my life 😡🥵

Location great, staff very friendly, but room needs to be renovated; In particular the old carpet and the mattress with the very unpleasant smell

The hotel is close to the train station and quite easy to reach, even if it is inconspicuous. The charm of the reception room (even if it was a bit out of date) made me smile at first. The staff was as friendly as they could be - above all, they were taciturn and quick with check-in and check-out.The room, however, leaves a lot to be desired. I didn't expect a suite for a price of less than €50 per night. But at least good air. On the other hand, a mixture of stuffy heat, stale smoke and a subtle mold/damp smell flowed into my nose. Not pleasant. Ventilating the room (at 30 degrees outside temperature) didn't help, and unfortunately it didn't get any better in the evening. On the contrary, the room only warmed up more overnight due to your own body temperature.The furnishings are simple, it didn't bother me - I don't need much for one night. Just a small light by the bed would have been helpful. The bathroom appears in the old 90s style, is very small and is enough to freshen up. However, the air in this closed room is even worse than that in the room.All in all: Sufficient for one night at this price. But only if it's not summer outside. I don't want to judge the cleanliness of the hotel and room. It appeared mostly clean.

The only good thing here is the central location, by far the worst hotel I've stayed in so far, we even saw a mouse running around at breakfast.

27/07/2024

The smallest room I've ever seen in a hotel. Everything is getting old.

Near the train.Very clean and tidy room