Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg

I highly recommend staying here. The hotel’s architecture and the rooms are beautiful, but what made it even better was how friendly the staff was. From the first person greeting you at check-in to everyone working in the restaurants and the spa, this was probably one of the best experiences I have had. We did a nice 10k hike that starts right at the hotel and can highly recommend this as well. I hope to be back soon!

Our stay at Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg was truly outstanding. We received a complimentary upgrade to a Dom Suite, possibly due to booking directly with the hotel and staying from Sunday to Monday. The suite was magnificent and exceptionally spacious, elegant, and perfectly maintained.||We were warmly welcomed with a chilled bottle of white wine and chocolates, a very generous and thoughtful gesture. The entire property is immaculate and impressively grand; the castle itself is enormous and wonderful to explore on foot.||Breakfast was excellent, with high-quality offerings and attentive service. A particularly memorable detail was the fresh honey served directly from the honeycomb, a small but special touch that reflects the hotel’s attention to detail. An exceptional stay in a truly remarkable setting.

The Schloss is beautiful, love this place. Have been coming here more than 10 years frequently. Amazing buffet, and rooms are beautiful. Also during lunch time there is pianist playing live. Accompanied with 3 different restaurants. An Italian, 2 star Michelin Vendome, and the lobby restaurant of the hotel. All three serve great food. The Vendome is a must visit when staying at the hotel.

We stayed four nights at the Althoff Schloss Bensberg Hotel and were impressed by the facilities, but unfortunately the service did not meet five-star expectations. From arrival, friendliness and professionalism were lacking compared to luxury hotels we frequently stay at (Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Peninsula). We initially booked a suite but downgraded due to dissatisfaction with the room. Issues escalated around smoking: we clearly asked staff for permission to smoke in the back garden and never smoked in the room. Despite this, management later accused us—rudely—of smoking indoors, which was uncomfortable and embarrassing. This was later proven untrue. Housekeeping and service were inconsistent. Rooms were not cleaned despite requests, housekeeping arrived at 8:00 a.m. despite jet lag, room service trays were left in the room for an entire day, and the downgraded room had an unclean toilet and a non-working TV. Positive notes go to the spa staff, valet, and young apprentices, who were professional and kind. Unfortunately, interactions with senior management were disappointing. The hotel has great potential, but service quality and guest treatment—especially for international guests—need serious improvement.

I stayed here in May 2025, my experience was amazing. This hotel is a great place to stay if you're looking to visit the nearby city Köln, and you can actually see it in the distance from the front lawn. Originally, I had booked to stay for a weekend while touring Germany, but due to some clerical errors I somehow booked on a day the hotel was closed to the public. They quickly made amends via upgrading my room for the days I was staying there, to a suite, and paying for me to stay in one of their sister hotels nearby. They also provided me transport to the sister hotel with a private driver. The dedication to service is outstanding, and I was very very pleased with this. I also was personally greated by Jörg Stricker, the hotels manager, and he ensured my stay would be perfect despite the issues with booking. We had breakfast and dinner here at the hotel and it was spectacular. It definitely met its 5-Star expectations. I hope to stay here again soon! If you're looking at staying near Köln, this is the place to get away from the tourism, and into an amazing experience.

Went with the family for a family visit. Hotel is magnificent. Pool/Spa area very nice. Kids loved staying in a castle, very special feeling and experience. The library is fantastic as well. only drawback was when we arrived (booked 3 rooms through 2 different bookings, but under the same family name) the reception mixed up the rooms and gave the best room to the wrong person (we asked which one was the best room).

Overall a great experience. Facilities are great, and the feeling is truly of a palace. Rooms are spacious and well decorated. The spa area is truly a nice touch

The hotel was everything we expected with one awful let down - a very loud birthday party at a building at the rear of the hotel that went on until 3am. None of us slept at all! If you are to visit, insist on a room that is NOT at the back of the hotel. Such a shame.

Of all the hotels I've stayed in my nearly 55 years on this planet, I have to say the Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg is the best! No picture does this place justice; you have to BE there yourself to experience what I mean. It's like I rode straight onto a period movie set, only this was real! The service here is just the right amount. By that I mean I've been to some hotels where there's a staff member around every corner asking how I'm doing, and others where I can't find any help whatsoever. It's almost like the staff here could read my mind and become available whenever I needed something! Everything about this place is grand, as its name clearly states. :-) My room had the highest ceilings of any hotel room I'd ever visited, and was more nicely appointed than the suite I once got at The Plaza in New York! The fridge is stocked with complementary drinks from spring water to beer, and replenished daily. While the Vendome restaurant wasn't open on any of the days I was visiting, I still ate practically the best dinner of my life at Enoteca. The breakfast buffet at Castle Restaurant Jan Wellem was superb as well! I'm already pining for this place, and will most assuredly visit it again when I get the chance.

We stayed three days it was all the way five star. Excellent service wonderful accommodation beautiful spa and grounds. They were wonderful with our two year old and gave spa and baby products in the room for him. Turn down bed service. Wonderful stay. It's expensive for Europe but not America. This stay in California would be 1200-2500 a night and Florida 800 - 1500 a night

A wonderful and luxurious hotel just outside of Cologne in the quiet town of Bensberg. I really enjoyed the spacious rooms and the complimentary minibar drinks. The beds were very comfortable as well with soft linens. The food at the hotel was all very tasty, from the burger in the lobby bar to the 3 Michelin starred Vendome restaurant. Great cocktails in the Salvador Dali bar. The spa and pool area was wonderful and relaxing. You felt like you were in an ancient Roman bath! The steam rooms and sauna at the spa were a daily highlight for me and the therapeutic steam helped me get over a cough I had. I did have a little mix up with an item I left in my room. One person said they found it and would forward it to my next hotel in Frankfurt, then it never got mailed and they claimed it was never found. In the end I got my item back after taking a train from Frankfurt and taxi back to the hotel. I recommend the hotel work on their internal communication amongst their employees. But the service was otherwise very good! I would definitely stay here again!

As the name of this place suggests its a former palace turned into a hotel in 1997. The palace was commissioned by Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine for his wife Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici. Anna Maria Luisa enjoyed the site's elevated scenery and views onto the River Rhine, Rhine Valley and Cologne Bight. The building was designed by Italian Baroque architect Matteo Alberti and completed in 1711. It's located in the town of Bensberg and only a short distance from Köln. They offer shuttle services from the hotel to the airport in Köln. The hotel is big and beautifully maintained and, has beautiful high ornate ceilings and grand hallways. There are at least three restaurants here, including the world renowned 3 Michelin starred Vendome. They have a lovely bar and a lounge open till late. The staff here are very friendly and accommodating. The rooms are well kitted and almost all rooms have free mini bar included with water, soft drinks juices and beer. Wifi is also free and you get a complimentary paper delivered to your room each morning. They deliver fresh fruit to your room and, for Christmas we were given nice stollen and sweets tray, amongst other things. There is a spa and a wellness center that has a pool, gym and sauna. Most guests have free access to the facilities and, you can book massage and other treatments at the spa. There is a good menu of services for men and women. Book ahead as it is very popular with guests and locals. I have stayed in a number of historical hotels around the world and, this would be up there in the top three, for me. This hotel tends to be more formal so bring a suit or a dress as, most people visiting the restaurants and bar here tend to be well dressed. Maybe it's a Christmas thing but that was my experience. I am glad I packed a suit ;-)) The town of Bensberg is only 5 min walk and, there are plenty of shops and cafes there. You can also make day trips to Köln, Dusseldorf and Bonn, from here. Most of these places are under an hours drive. As a tip, look for packaged deals here and depending on the season you can get some good deals, including meals and so on. Having come from Munich many hotels there are far more expensive than this one, for a lot less on offer. I loved my stay here and would happily come back again. It's quiet and luxurious with great service. Makes you feel like royalty and the ambience is amazing. The food is great and, there is plenty of options only a 5 min walk away. A great place for romantic weekend, honeymoon or plain old relaxation.

The property was fairy-tale like! My husband took me for a weekend for my birthday. He arranged for the staff to have champagne and cake at our arrival, which was such a cute surprise. It was close to Christmas time so the lights and the Cologne Christmas market gave it all an extra glow. We had a suite, which was very grand, spacious even for US standards. The dining facilities were opulent. It was a treat to stay here.

Stayed here for my first trip to Germany (or Europe for that matter). Affordable compared to American hotels, especially for what you get! Nicest place I've ever stayed in, and the staff were all so nice and accommodating. I foolishly forgot my electric outlet converters and the front desk had run out of them but they were happy to give me a USB hub so I could at least charge my phone. The rooms were clean and beautiful, very high ceilings with large windows that opened up to the courtyard. My bathroom had a standing shower, as well as a very roomy bathtub which was so wonderful to use after a long day of travel and business obligations. The hallways between the rooms were also beautiful and the front-facing ones were lovely to watch the sunset. The breakfast buffet was so good, and I loved the fresh squeezed juices they had. Restaurants on location were also all great, although we didn't get to try Vendome (bummer!). I'd recommend this place to anyone.

Whilst not quite as peaceful and relaxing as its sister hotel (Schlosshotel Lerbach) this is nevertheless one of the best hotels in Germany. Service from all staff is excellent and very firiendly. The buffet breakfast is extremely extensive. Views from the hotel are excellent. Access to central Cologne is very easy via the nearby tram line. There are tow restaurants at the hotel. "Enoteca" is an Italian Trattoria style restaurant. "Vendôme" is a 3 Michelin star restaurant with chef Joachim Wissler arguably one of the best 3 chefs in Germany.