Visit the bar for a fireside night cap
Just 12kms from the Cologne Basin, Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg watches over the city from on high. Its baroque exterior goes further to cement the feeling that this hotel is a guardian of some sort; perhaps ensuring the stylistic standard of Cologne remains at a particular level.
120 rooms (including 36 suites) are classic yet crisp - the exact opposite of dowdy. Regardless of which one you book, you'll likely get a green view, as rooms look either inward to the manicured courtyard, or out to surrounding trees.
The indoor pool is beyond elegant, with a stone waterfall at its front, and a ceiling made to resemble the starry night up above. The adjoining spa is one to write home about, offering wellness therapies and products by La Prairie and St. Barth among others.
Dining at Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg can be as casual or as refined as you like. For the former, opt for Trattoria Enoteca, a hearty Mediterranean affair. When you feel the need for Michelin Star perfection, don your very best and prepare to be wowed at Vendôme. The menu is inspired from beginning to end, more an edible art project than a simple meal.