Reopening postponed again – construction site remains

Delayed acceptance

The opening of the Cologne Cathedral Hotel has been postponed again

Landmarks in Cologne city center remain closed. The owner commented on a possible opening date.

The Cologne Cathedral Hotel will likely not be able to open to hotel guests before the end of spring 2026. The official reception of the building will definitely be postponed until early 2026, a spokesperson for its owner, the Bavarian Supply Chamber, told t-online’s Cologne editorial team. “We cannot provide a specific date at this time,” a spokesperson continued.

Preparations are currently underway so that experts can accept the various parts of the building. “The building inspection continued with a test of building operation, as well as an official handover to the Althoff Hotel,” said a company spokesperson. The opening, which was originally planned for the end of 2025, had to be postponed until August next year.

Several months ago it was reported that the acceptance test would be held in November. The hotel could then open in early 2026. It will likely be delayed until late spring 2026, possibly into early summer. The operator of the Althoff Hotel had told t-online in August that bookings and concrete statements about opening could only be made after acceptance.

The Dom Hotel has been under construction for many years. With the reopening, guests staying overnight in Cologne city center will have access to another five-star hotel next to the Hotel Excelsior Ernst in the vicinity of Cologne Cathedral. The Dom Hotel is considered one of the oldest grand hotels in Europe; parts of the current building date from 1893.

If construction work is completed next year, another permanent construction site in Cologne city center will finally be completed after more than six years. There is already positive news for visitors to the Christmas market which has been running since last week: the scaffolding which recently covered the magnificent building was dismantled just in time for early November.

Tourists can now see the new cathedral hotel for the first time – even if only from the outside.