4* Maritim Hotel Koln

Hotel Lyskirchen has a very useful Old Town location, just a few minutes from Heumarkt and within easy reach of the gay bars around the southern end of Cologne’s historic centre. Rooms have a clean, contemporary feel and there’s more on offer than you might expect from a central city hotel, including an indoor pool, gym and sauna. The Rhine and Chocolate Museum are just around the corner, while Cologne Cathedral is around a 15-minute walk away. It’s particularly well positioned if you want to mix sightseeing with evenings around the Heumarkt gay scene without relying heavily on public transport. GayMapper tip: one of the most convenient choices for the Old Town side of Cologne’s gay nightlife.

Ruby Ella brings a bit more personality to Cologne’s hotel scene, with a stylish location near Friesenplatz and within easy reach of the gay bars around Rudolfplatz and Schaafenstraße. The hotel occupies the former site of Cologne’s Capitol TV studios, and the interiors have fun with that history, mixing retro television glamour with neon, chrome and colourful contemporary design. Rooms are deliberately streamlined but comfortable, with rainfall showers, good beds and soundproofing, while the lively 24-hour bar and lounge gives you somewhere appealing for a drink before heading out. Friesenplatz station is almost outside, while the Belgian Quarter, shopping streets and central sights are all easy to reach. GayMapper tip: a particularly good choice if you want stylish surroundings, easy access to the gay scene and something with more character than a conventional four-star chain hotel.

Motel One Köln-Neumarkt hits a particularly useful sweet spot between Cologne’s main sights and its biggest gay nightlife cluster. Schaafenstraße is only a short walk beyond Neumarkt, while the Old Town and Cathedral are easily reached in the other direction. As you’d expect from Motel One, rooms are compact but smartly designed, with a stylish lounge and bar giving the hotel a little more personality than the price point might suggest. The design also includes plenty of references to Cologne and its Cathedral. Shopping on Schildergasse is practically outside the door and Neumarkt’s excellent tram connections make the rest of the city easy to explore. GayMapper tip: probably one of the best combinations of price, location and style in central Cologne.

You certainly won’t struggle to find the Maritim: the huge glass-fronted hotel sits directly on Heumarkt, right beside the Rhine and within easy walking distance of the Old Town gay bars. Inside, it’s a large traditional city hotel rather than a boutique retreat, with more than 450 rooms, several restaurants and bars, plus an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and fitness facilities. Some rooms also offer views towards the Cathedral or Rhine. The Cathedral, shopping streets and main station are all within walking distance, while trams from Heumarkt make getting elsewhere in Cologne easy. GayMapper tip: not the trendiest hotel in town, but the Heumarkt location is extremely hard to beat if you want the Old Town gay scene close by.

For something much less conventional, die Wohngemeinschaft sits right in Cologne’s lively Belgian Quarter and within easy walking distance of the gay bars around Schaafenstraße and Rudolfplatz. Each room has its own imaginative theme, so you could find yourself sleeping in anything from a spaceship-inspired room to something resembling a boat cabin. Downstairs, the café and bar are part of the experience too, with live music, cultural events and a sociable local crowd. Shared bathrooms feature in some room types, so this won’t suit everyone, but the location and character make it far more memorable than a generic budget hotel. GayMapper tip: a fun choice for sociable travellers who’d rather spend their money going out than on a conventional hotel room.

For gay nightlife location, Steigenberger Hotel Köln is one of the easiest choices on the list. It sits directly on Rudolfplatz, putting the bars of Schaafenstraße and the surrounding gay district just a short walk away. The hotel itself is a fairly large, modern four-star property with spacious rooms, many offering views across the city. There’s also a restaurant, bar and fitness facilities, although the location is really the main reason to choose it. Rudolfplatz’s tram and underground connections make reaching the Cathedral, main station and Old Town straightforward when you want to explore beyond the immediate neighbourhood. GayMapper tip: particularly good if your Cologne weekend is likely to involve rather more nightlife than sightseeing.