Schloss Bensberg Hotel Review | Hotels Above Par

"Perched above a characteristic German village, my suite at Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg conjured a Rapunzel moment: the castle’s gardens are inspired by Versailles and I can see Cologne Cathedral soaring some eight miles away over the hilly landscape toward the Rhine. Housed in the second-largest baroque palace north of the Alps—built in 1703 by Prince Johann Wilhelm II as a hunting lodge-turned-palace—the hotel blends stucco and gilded details with modern art, antiques, and Art Nouveau furnishings to create an intimate, weekend-house-party atmosphere rather than a stuffy palace. Oversized, individually styled rooms frame views of the cathedral or the Bergisches landscape, and the Presidential Suite stretches over 1,700 square feet with an immense marbled bathroom and private sauna. Between sipping Champagne in the rooms, perusing the owner’s world-class art collection, enjoying quick chauffeured trips into Cologne, and indulging in the hotel’s dining and spa offerings, the place feels timeless and romantic without being clichéd."