Grand Hôtel Bristol sits opposite Colmar's railway station, about a hundred metres from the platforms, and the historic centre is around five minutes' walk. It is a four-star hotel with 91 rooms, mostly doubles and twins with some triples, plus a restaurant serving traditional Alsatian dishes, a bar, an outdoor terrace and a fifth-floor terrace. Guests can use a sauna, a hammam and a fitness room, and massages and facials can be booked. There is no pool. Parking is available, pets are accepted, and there is free Wi-Fi and a lift. It is a larger, more conventional hotel than the old-town inns, with the benefits of scale: a reception that is staffed around the clock, a restaurant on the premises, and straightforward logistics.
Location and getting around
The station is across the road, which makes this the easiest hotel in town for arrivals by train from Strasbourg, Basel or Paris, and for day trips by rail or bus. The walk to Petite Venise and the museums is short and flat, along streets that are pleasant in daylight and quiet at night. Drivers get parking on site. Those who want to step out onto a medieval lane should consider an old-town hotel, but here you trade a little atmosphere for convenience.
Rooms and facilities
The hotel's range of room sizes suits couples, friends and families, and its restaurant means you can eat in without leaving the building after a long day of touring. The sauna, hammam and fitness room are a useful way to warm up after a winter day or a Christmas-market evening.
Children aged up to twelve stay free in the room with breakfast according to the tourist information, which helps family budgets. The hotel describes its rooms as air-conditioned in some places and not in others, so ask when you book if summer heat matters to you.
Who it suits
Rail travellers, business visitors, wine-route day-trippers who start early, and visitors who want a larger hotel with facilities. It is also a sensible fallback in the Christmas season, when smaller hotels sell out, though you should still book early. Allow a few minutes extra for your walk home at night after dinner in the old town, and ask for a room away from the station side if you are sensitive to noise.
Why stay here
- ✓Opposite the railway station
- ✓Alsatian restaurant and bar
- ✓Sauna and hammam
- ✓Fitness room
- ✓Fifth-floor terrace
- ✓Parking available
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
- ✓Pets welcome
Good questions
How far is Grand Hôtel Bristol from the old town?+
The old town is about five minutes' walk, and the railway station is directly opposite the hotel.
Does it have a spa?+
It has a sauna, a hammam and a fitness room, with massages and facials by reservation. There is no swimming pool.
Is there a restaurant?+
Yes, serving traditional Alsatian dishes, with an outdoor terrace in summer.
