The Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, one of the city's most impressive sights, stands imposingly at the Deutsches Eck. The importance of the city of Koblenz for Velociped is also impressive: many Velociped cyclists are travelling along the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers and the Lahn estuary south of Koblenz. Koblenz has a decisive influence on the quality of the cycle tour as a start or end point as well as during the journey along the Rhine.
In this lively city, we value our cooperation with a number of long-standing hotel partners and are also delighted about new hotel openings and new collaborations with long-established Koblenz hotels. It is important to us to be able to offer a special blend of comfort, service and personalised care.
Over the off-season, we have expanded our selection of hotels in Koblenz, not least by gaining new hotel partners, so it is time to visit the historic city in person again and exchange ideas with our contacts, some of whom have been with us for many years.
We take an invitation to visit the SE Manon ship from SE Tours as an incentive and set off in our Velociped Sprinter towards Bad Ems-Nievern to our bicycle depot at the beginning of April. We meet our station manager Carsten there and then set off on our hotel tour from Koblenz main station.
The tastefully furnished city hotel, which is currently undergoing further modernisation, is centrally located directly on the station forecourt. Our guests appreciate the good service provided by the friendly team and the special amenities, such as the secure and protected bicycle shelter and the cosy outdoor terrace. The inviting and light-flooded entrance area is reception, lobby, hotel bar and breakfast area all in one. We are warmly welcomed with a slight delay and can enjoy the short stay and the pleasant tour of the hotel. In the end, we know that we have been vindicated: The GHOTEL remains an important hotel partner and a good host for our cycling guests.
In the pleasant spring sunshine and a fresh breeze, we enjoy our little lunchtime snack on one of the cosy stone benches in front of Koblenz main station. We review our first appointment, prepare for the day's upcoming sightseeing and, yes, we also observe the colourful and lively hustle and bustle on the forecourt. Strengthened, we make our way to the Hotel Hohenstaufen, which can already be recognised just a stone's throw away.
We have known the Hotel Hohenstaufen, which is also within walking distance of the station, for several years. However, a cooperation only came about shortly before the end of the 2024 season through a conversation with one of our Eurofun group partners. Today, we are therefore particularly looking forward to our first personal exchange on site and meeting Mrs Stoitchkova. Steffi and I receive a very warm welcome before we meet in the conference room for an in-depth discussion, which includes many contractual questions. The subsequent tour of the hotel is as detailed as it is informative and, in the end, we are convinced that we have found a reliable hotel partner in the family-run Hotel Hohenstaufen, which will always accommodate our guests with a lot of warmth and a good level of service.
‘Visiting friends’ is the title of our afternoon appointment at Hotel Brenner with Michaela and her lovely team. This is based on a long-standing partnership, as the Hotel Brenner has been a loving host to our guests almost since the beginning of Velociped's history. Centrally located, close to the old town, our cyclists can expect attentive and personalised service as well as warm hospitality in a cosy, stylish ambience. Following modernisation a few years ago, the elegant, brightly furnished rooms offer a high level of comfort and in some cases a beautiful view of the well-tended garden with adjoining terrace.
Whether you're enjoying a cup of coffee in the afternoon after your arrival or breakfast in the morning, it's easy to forget you're in the centre of Koblenz. We also quickly forget the time during the mostly private conversation and are grateful to have made our appointment at the end of the day. After a while, we bid a fond farewell and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Once again, we continue on foot through the streets of Koblenz to check in at the Super 8 by Wyndham Hotel, which opened in 2022 opposite the central square with the Mittelrhein Forum and tourist information centre. The tall building immediately catches the eye, as the yellow logo with the red 8 can be seen from afar. You immediately feel welcome in the modern and bright entrance area of the young hotel, so we were also welcomed very personally and were able to quickly move into our rooms on the 8th floor of the hotel after a smooth check-in. The rooms are small, the furnishings simple but cosy and inviting. Excited about the hotel's other amenities, which will be shown to us the next morning during the meeting, we head off for a well-earned rest.
Refreshed and invigorated by a hearty breakfast, Mr Klempin awaits us in the hotel lobby after our check-out and we start our conversation straight away. Contracts, processing, invoicing and our guests' expectations are all topics that we discuss in depth. After a short tour of the hotel and a friendly farewell, we are delighted to have a new hotel partner at our side in the Super 8.
A long and impressive day comes to an end. Now we want to be guests and make our way through the city centre in search of an appealing restaurant. Said, done, found: Mikado - Sushi & Grill. A popular sushi restaurant with a unique a la carte concept. Order soups, salads, sushi and other finger food digitally via iPad every 15 minutes, get served hot and enjoy. Typical Japanese cuisine in a pleasant, modern atmosphere. A successful end to the day and definitely a recommendation for our diverse cyclists.
Bike & boat tours play an important role in the Velociped season. That's why we gladly accepted SE Tours' personal invitation and set off with our colleagues Roswitha and Björn to meet sales manager Fabian Poth on board the SE Manon at the Moselle jetty, not far from the Deutsches Eck. In an interesting exchange in the lounge on the main deck, we learnt a lot of background knowledge and were educated about life on board with the guests. The tour of the ship and a light but very tasty lunch as well as the final tour of the sun deck round off the visit. We are grateful for this visit and now feel more confident in dealing with customer enquiries.
For the SE Manon, it's time to cast off again and we also make our way back to Marburg, where we are already expected.
The visit to Koblenz was a valuable opportunity to cultivate existing partnerships and intensify new collaborations. Through the personal discussions with the hotels and the tour of the SE-Manon, we have further deepened our mutual understanding and strengthened our awareness. Koblenz, as an important location for our travel regions, currently impresses with a selection of hotels that offer comfort and good service.
