Excelsior Hotel Ernst

Excelsior Hotel Ernst stands beside Cologne Cathedral in central Cologne, Germany, with historic architecture and direct views of the city’s landmark from some suites. Opened on 16 May 1863, the hotel places rooms, restaurants, a patisserie, a tea room, and a bar within one long-standing address.

A complete rebuild between 1908 and 1910 created 200 bedrooms, including 60 with private bathrooms, a rare feature at the time. British forces used the building as a headquarters in 1918 and again requisitioned it after the Second World War, while air raids damaged its upper floors in 1943. The hotel reopened to the public after the currency reform in June 1948, then gained the Neubau wing in 1986 and larger Hanse Flügel rooms in 2007. Hanse Stube serves French cuisine with a Rhineland influence, while taku offers Asian cuisine in a modern setting.

Today, 134 rooms and suites share the address with eight function rooms, Wintergarten patisserie and tea room, and Charles Bar with live music. Kaiser Wilhelm I and Andy Warhol have stayed here, and scenes from the silent film The Beggar from Cologne Cathedral were filmed inside in 1927.