Can you imagine? A luxury hotel in what used to be Cologne’s main water tower! Well, it exists, and we got to visit this hotel, without having to book a room!
Antonia, our very competent, personable guide, first gave us a bit of history of the building, which helped us realize what a challenge the investors had to deal with. When it became clear in the 19th century, that  ever-expanding Cologne needed  a more  comprehensive water supply, architects designed the round tower in the middle of Cologne. Within 5 years, 1868-1872, the largest water tower in Europe was constructed. It was used as a water tower until the 1930s. Severely damaged during World War II, it stood as an ugly ruin for many years. In 1985 an investor was found to rebuild this tower as a luxury hotel. In 1990 it opened as a hotel, with a Michelin star restaurant. But the story doesn’t end here. Over the past 30 years, owners have changed, restaurants have come and gone, it now belongs to the Hilton Group, in the Curio Collection, a high-end group of hotels throughout the world.
     Presently, there is no restaurant in the hotel, but a roof-top bar open to the public, with a breath-taking view of the city. The rooms that Antonia showed us are very impressive, from a luxurious double room to a suite. Of course, the prices are also impressive, whereby they vary with the season and availability. In fact if you check prices every day, you might find something affordable!
     Thanks to Antonia, with her fluent English and friendly way of explaining this  maze of a hotel, we had an enjoyable afternoon. Without her help, we would have been easily lost, the building is still in the round, with no straight hallways, and in some places the original brick inside.
     18 members, and 2 guests, attended this unique tour.