Hotel Of The Week: The Park Plaza, Trier

The Park Plaza in Trier isn't just another smart, efficient German hotel. Its Roman references also link guests to this city's days as capital of the Empire north of the Alps

The Germans are good at creating an atmosphere of relaxing functionality, and at the Park Plaza it is done to perfection. There is nothing tasteless or unnecessary, but you know that the ergonomists have been to work on the design of every chair and sofa. The hotel has another, unusual, claim to fame: the inclusion of convincing Roman designs and artefacts, echoing the town's illustrious past as the second Rome and capital of the Empire north of the Alps in the early years of the first millennium. This is the York of Germany, and the hotel is its swishest, state-of-the-art place in this underrated town on the banks of the Mosel river.

The location

Set in Trier, Germany's oldest town, the Park Plaza is a five-year-old creation. The town is full of Unesco sites, including not only the Roman gems but medieval churches and towers and Renaissance and Baroque palaces and gardens.

The comfort factor

Busts and statues are liberally sprinkled throughout the courtyard and public interiors, so you are never too far from the gaze of an emperor. In the summer, restaurant tables are added to the central, open-air courtyard. Much of the creative energy has been saved for the spa complex on the fourth floor. It has a laconium (a tiled hot room which prepares you for one of the 20 or so massage and beauty treatments - all fit for a consul's wife. The chocolate and sugar treatment expertly administered by a Persian princess is highly recommended.

The bathroom

All rooms have functional en suite bathrooms with walk-in showers but only a few have baths.

The food and drink

The hotel's Caesar's restaurant serves international cuisine and regional dishes, but still remembers the Latin connection - the menu greets the diner with "Hospes, salve!" Inevitably, there is a resplendent Caesar salad. But you're on just as safe ground with local dishes such as veal cutlet in a rich wine sauce, perch pike caught from the Mosel, and fresh asparagus if it's May. All this is amply supported by a local dry Piesporter wine.

The people

Luxembourgers, French and Belgians on weekend breaks and well-heeled tourists from China and South Korea on their Grand European Tour, taking in the Karl Marx heritage, and having their photos taken outside the house where he was born.

The area

Trier was one of the four capitals of the Roman Empire at its biggest and its imperial legacy is the town's main attraction today. The Porta Nigra is the largest Roman gateway in the world, there are the remains of three Roman baths, a magnificent cathedral, and the impressive basilica which the Emperor Constantine built in the 4th century still stands. The town is just starting to exploit its Karl Marx heritage.

The access

There is one superior suite with wheelchair access but all areas of the hotel are fully accessible for the disabled.

The damage

Rates range from €145 (£98) per night for a double with breakfast to €250 for a suite.

The address

Park Plaza, Nikolaus-Koch-Platz 1, D-54290 Trier, Germany (00 49 651 99930, parkplaza-trier.de).

Robert Nurden

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