by editorial office, ch, tophotel

Severe crises were overcome, and the present difficulties, too, will do no harm to Kempinski Hotel Atlantic on the Außenalster pond in Hamburg, now 100 years in operation. The honorable establishment had its grand opening on May 02, 1909, and its 250 rooms were fully booked shortly after. Big times and names are linked with the establishment, which was fundamentally influenced by legends of the hotel business, such as Oscar H. Geyer (General Manager from 1932 to 68) and Karl T. Walterspiel (1986-1995). Virtually every top star who stayed in Hamburg has put his trust in the Atlantic level of quality. And it is no different today: For 14 years, musician and painter Udo Lindenberg has been residing in one of its suites, giving the hotel the glamorous aura of the show business to this day. World fame for the hotel with the signature world globe atop its pediment came with the James Bond movie “Tomorrow Never Dies”, which hit theaters in 1997.

Jubilee celebrations are kept low-key, partly due to economic limitations, partly due to the complete renovation of 226 guest rooms, to go on until end of next year. But the Grande Dame of Grand Hotels deserves special attention, especially since recent media reports about the holdup of renovations and the voluntary forfeiture of Dehoga stars were a tough blow to the stalwart team under Sebastian Heinemann. The best news on this 100th anniversary: The establishment is world renowned, being comprehensively renewed and expanded – and can look forward to the next one hundred years without worries.

View from the Außenalster

Contrary to the conservative Vier Jahreszeiten on the Binnenalster pond diagonally opposite, the Atlantic is, to this day, known as being the “media hotel”. The foundation for lasting press and public relations was no doubt laid by Uwe Frommhold, who managed the establishment from 1993 to 1997. Since then – and thanks to the efforts of PR Chief Susanne Semmroth, who passed away much too early – the Atlantic is as much a source of reports in the society section as ever. For many years, luxurious new year’s receptions were held specifically for media partners.

BMW suite

The Atlantic’s changeful history was documented ten years ago – around its 90th birthday. The book of more than 260 pages explains its origins and decades in an exciting, if somewhat confusing fashion. The author was able to gather a great number of events that made valuable contributions to the hotel’s history. The book states, for example, that the main investor of the hotel, worth 14 million Goldmarks at the time, was close to going bankrupt shortly after the its opening. The Berlin-based Kaiserhof-Hotel AG joined the venture, and with the integration of the renowned Hamburg-based gourmet restaurants of Franz Pfordte, the “Atlantic Pfordte”, as the establishment was called in its first years, became a success.

Atrium

The costly, exceptionally well-located property was an opportunity and a stroke of luck for a lot of investors. Shipowners from Hamburg acquired the establishment in 1919, after which it belonged to the Stinnes Corporation for many years, with Dresdner Bank and Commerzbank investing later on. Kempinski AG took over the establishment in 1957. Today, it is part of the group of companies chaired by former Kempinski President Dieter Bock, which was notedly criticized for the holdup of renovations during the jubilee. The establishment’s highly successful management, however, still lies with the Kempinski hoteliers, who will see to its success in the years to follow – even in turbulent waters.

More information: www.tophotel.de.