AQUALAND Freizeitbad — Attraction in Cologne

I'm writing this review to share my terrible and unsafe experience at the waterpark, particularly for tourists like myself.

We initially bought our tickets online, only to be informed by the front desk staff that they were unable to scan tickets from a phone and required a physical copy. They then directed us to print the ticket upstairs for a euro. Despite expressing that we only had a card and no cash, we received no prior information about their cash-only policy. Frustratingly, the staff member scanned the printed ticket with ease, something she could've done with the phone, leading me to believe that we were misled into paying a euro unnecessarily.

The park is in dire need of renovations. The majority of its features were rusty and the overall condition was far from impressive. Perhaps it was an attractive spot in the 2010s, but it's evident that regular updates are crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction.

Another point of dissatisfaction was that we bought access to both swimming pools and saunas, but the website failed to mention that the saunas were for nude use only. As someone uncomfortable with such a setting, I felt as if I paid for a service I didn't use. Additionally, the reception staff was impolite, raising their voice while explaining that such a setup was acceptable for Germans. Although this might be common knowledge to locals, as a tourist, I was caught off guard due to a lack of clear information on their website.

We also tried out the waterslides, specifically the Aquaconda, which proved to be alarmingly dangerous. There was no staff member regulating the number of people on the slide at any given time, and this, combined with reckless behavior by some of the park's younger patrons, resulted in a highly dangerous situation. We collided with several others on the slide due to a lack of organization and oversight. Following this incident, the slide was shut down after two hours, citing another issue.

Lastly, the placement of the smoking area was abysmal. The door of the smoking area opened directly into the indoor water slide area, filling it with smoke. As a non-smoker, I found this extremely off-putting, and I was surprised to see that this was the area where most children congregated.

Thankfully, I purchased discounted tickets. If I'd paid full price, I would have demanded a refund.

In summary, this waterpark left a lot to be desired. It's run-down, the staff is unhelpful, and it reeks of cigarette smoke. Plus, the waterslides are rusty. I would not...

This place seems famous among Luxembourgers (like Phantasialand) so I visited to go see for myself.

First good thing, the parking is free and its right next to the highway. The building looks nice and stylish. I took a 4h pass (~30€) for the pool & slide area only (wellness and sauna area is extra), and got a wristband. The unisex changing rooms were spacy and regularly cleaned. Showers are clean, though there was some maintenance going on. The water park was at medium capacity I'd say (arrived at 12 o'clock). The large main dome had many long chairs to sit down. There was also an unusual large amount of whirlpools/Jacuzzi spots, which I liked. The dome features a nice pool that winds around, I thought the water was a bit turbid though (but thats honestly the case in almost every public pool). Also there was lots of hair, especially in the pools where the waterslides end.

The Erlebnisgrotte was nicely themed, though it was rather chilly since maintenance was going on. The steam room was nice though. On the other side there is another grotto but with a hot water pool, that one was pretty popular and always packed.

The outdoor pool was cool, check out the salt water pool. Although I wish the salt water pool would be accessible from the indoor area.

The slide dome already looks impressive: its like a maze of slides inside. All slides were 0-7min waits. The trapdoor loop slide was always a walk-on, I guess people were too scared haha. I enjoyed it (also witnessed a few guys getting rescued from the escape hatch). Aquaconda was pretty cool especially with its uphill sections (rare in Germany). The double slide was ok, but nothing extraordinary. The Canyon slide was much more fun and thrilling than expected. Red star was surprisingly fun and fast. The bowl slide was also fun. I loved the Boomerang, very thrilling little thing. I also checked the new Rutschen-Dschungel which is cool but more for younger folks. I managed to get 4-8 rides on each slide

For lunch I had a currywurst and a slushy, price/quality was ok. Though I wish they'd update their payment method for the restaurant and poolbar, like its in some other places: wristband scanned when buying something and then paying when leaving the park. So you dont need to get your wallet out of your locker.

I totally recommend visiting this place, though check beforehand to avoid school holidays and weekends. This place can get packed, loud and rowdyish when you are there at...

I’ve been to many pools and hospitality venues, but I have never encountered anything like this. The issue? The barman. From start to finish, the barman was the sole reason our experience was terrible.

We arrived in good spirits, but the barman greeted us with indifference. We tried to ask the barman a question, but the barman didn’t even make eye contact. When we finally managed to order, the barman looked irritated — like we were bothering the barman just by being there.

I want to be crystal clear: the barman was not just unhelpful — the barman was actively unpleasant. The barman made us feel like we were not welcome. The barman ignored us. The barman avoided basic politeness. The barman didn’t smile. The barman didn’t acknowledge our thanks. And the barman seemed to go out of their way to ruin the experience.

While the location itself was okay, everything else faded into the background because of — you guessed it — the barman. The barman should not be in a role that involves customer interaction. The barman lacks basic hospitality skills. The barman’s attitude was unprofessional. And most importantly, the barman had a direct impact on whether we’d return — and because of the barman, we won’t.

I hope management is paying attention. If they are, they need to know that the barman is costing them business. The barman is the reason I’m writing this. The barman should be retrained or replaced. The barman clearly doesn’t enjoy their job. The barman didn’t lift a finger to improve anything. I watched the barman act rudely to others too — so it wasn’t just us.

No matter how nice the pool is, the barman is the reason we’ll never return. If someone from management reads this, understand: the customer experience starts and ends with the barman. And the barman failed, repeatedly.

You might think I’m exaggerating — but the barman was that bad. Every bad memory I now have of our visit leads back to the barman.

Want a better experience? Go somewhere else — somewhere without the barman.

I’ll say it one last time, just to be absolutely clear: this entire review, this entire complaint, and this entirely ruined afternoon — was all because...