As refined, German and Italian as Eau de Cologne

"My fragrance reminds me of an Italian spring morning after the rain; an accord of orange, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, blossoms and fruits from the country of my birth". In 1708, this was how Johann Marie Farina described his new perfume. He suggested calling it Eau de Cologne in tribute to the beautiful city that welcomed the master perfumer, born in Santa Maria Maggiore in the Italian region of Piedmont. Shortly after, he founded his company that he called "Jean Marie Farina vis-à-vis de la place Julière" (in French, like the name of his "eau admirable") and for which he chose the symbol of a red tulip. Adopted by all the Royal palaces and courts of Europe, the fragrance's success needs no explanation and the house of Farina, which will celebrate its 300^th anniversary in 2009, is the oldest perfume house still in activity. The name, the tulip and the family are still at the helm of this enterprise that is part Italian, German and French and which irresistibly conjures up the Best Western Premier Hotel Regent, not only because of its location in Cologne.

The hotel, designed by a German architect and decorated by Italian artists, is also reminiscent of this singular blend of culture. Red prevails throughout, in particular on the facade, making it one of Cologne's most distinctive modern buildings. The hotel dominates the Melaten Cemetery, an authentic landmark and popular destination that is rich in fragrant scents and home to many curiosities, among which the statues of angels and skeletons that adorn the tombs. The Best Western Premier Hotel Regent is located in the heart of Cologne, but also endeavours to create a setting that is distinctly Mediterranean in spirit. The colour scheme in particular is worthy of note, both eminently simple and stunningly sophisticated. The masterful use of untreated materials is admirable in the reception, lobby and sitting rooms, among which macassar wood, copper, glass and water, all of which deploy technical solutions of unprecedented daring and inventiveness. The showers in the hotel's guestrooms, for example, not only deliver varying jets of water, but also light and a refreshing fragrance. Similarly, the car park, which is just another of the hotel's many assets, is equipped with a very efficient car lift!

The exceptional generosity of character with which the hotel welcomes its guests is visible in countless little details. Superb plasma screens in the lift area on each floor, for example, project programmes, which ensure that guests forget the few seconds they may have to wait for a lift. The incomparable elegance of the hotel, its distinguished design and the exceptional quality of its materials all bear witness to this rare generosity and appeal. Built on twelve storeys, most of the guestrooms of the Best Western Premier Hotel Regent command extensive views of the city's rooftops and parks. This view is even more prized when it enables guests to admire the magnificent firework display over the Rhine and the Cathedral that closes the city's annual festival of light ("Kölner Lichter").

Enormous parks devoted to sport, a carnival attended by over a million people and pedestrian districts full of restaurants and cafés, Cologne is indeed a city that excels in the art of entertainment and leisure pursuits. This extraordinarily tolerant, free-thinking and easy-going state of mind is moreover indicative of the authentic character that makes the city so eminently endearing. Since Farina created his "eau", the city's inhabitants sum it up by a word that also inspired the designers of the Best Western Premier Hotel Regent - Cologne is a feeling!

Best Western Premier Hotel Regent

Melatenguertel 15, Koeln, DE, Koeln, Germany - 50933

Phone: +49 (0) 221 54990 Fax: +49 (0) 221 549 9998