Hotel zur Malzmühle

Everything was OK up until it was time to check out. We had to check out very early in the morning -- 4:30 pm and I asked the front desk agent if he could call a taxi for us. That's when everything went bad. A car pulls in that does not have any Taxi markings on it and it was a black Mercedes as opposed to the cream colored ones that drive all over the city. The front desk agent comes outside and, in front of my eyes, the driver hands him 5 EUR. I asked how much the 15 minute trip to the airport would approximately cost and he said $50. Well, without traffic the driver rang up EUR $72. Botom line: the night shift agent is corrupt and took advantage of guests who were time pressed to get to the airport. This was not an arms length transaction but an opportunity for him to take advantage of an opportunity at a referral fee. The hotel itself was OK. The room had its unique quirks such as high vaulted ceilings and windows that opened out. There was no HVAC and the shower lacked any lighting. The "queen bed" is actually two beds pushed together, so they posted misleading information on that. The room itself was clean and adequately maintained. I paid top dollar for a junior suite and I'll make sure to avoid this hotel on my next trip to Cologne all because a night shift employee decided to take advantage of me.