The ongoing global economic crisis appears to have no impact on the hotel market. Even though Berlin’s existing hotels are doing all but well, the flow of new developments is unbroken. Experts are talking of occupancy rates of 53-60% at existing establishments in Berlin, and of a stagnating tourism. All this does not appear to stop the international hotel corporations from building one new hotel after the other in the German capital.
The following text, provided by BTM – Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH, lists the properties presently in development and in the planning stages. Added to those are around 11 new properties which are already on the corporations’ to-do-lists, but have not yet been officially applied for.
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Whether it’s the unique atmosphere of a design hotel or the elegant ambiance of a five-star hotel – the diversity and modernity of the Berlin hotel landscape is unique in Europe. It has tailored its offering not only to tourists but also to the needs of convention and incentive organisers and their guests. In this context the small business meeting is offered as fitting a setting as a conference with more than 1,000 participants. And the offering is constantly growing.
Design, Luxury and A Touch of Spanish Flair – Hotels Opening in 2009
The first guests have been checking into andel´s Hotel Berlin since March 2009. The new and impressive four-star plus building in the vicinity of the Velodrome/ Landsberger Allee boasts 557 rooms spread over ten storeys. At its heart is the ballroom, which covers an area of 570 square metres. An exquisite Wellness Suite and the Skybar at a height of 60 metres put the finishing touches to the services offered by the andel´s Hotel Berlin as an outstanding event location and the fourth largest conference hotel in the city.
Between the Schlossplatz and the Gendarmenmarkt, in the “Quartier am Auswärtigen Amt“, hotel guests have been enjoying representative ambiance since March 2009. The ARCOTEL JOHN F, a four-star superior as well as apartment hotel, has 190 exclusively appointed rooms and suites. These stand out from the crowd by virtue of their sophisticated design elements and individually-styled furnishings. In addition, modern seminar rooms are available that can accommodate up to 200 persons.
In the middle of March Berlin-Dahlem unveiled a special highlight in the shape of a hotel complete with conference facilities – the Seminaris CampusHotel Berlin – Science & Conference Centre of the Freie Universität (Free University of Berlin) is based on designs by the renowned architect, Helmut Jahn. The external impression given by the transparent facade of the building complex, covering 9 000 square metres, is one of a filigree structure suffused with light. On the inside of the conference cube (also known as the Dahlem Cube) there are multi-purpose conference, seminar and meeting rooms extending to an area of approximately 2 800 square metres. The large congress hall or “Domus Variabilis“ has room for up to 600 visitors. The associated hotel has 186 rooms, a restaurant, a fitness suite as well as an underground garage with space for 140 vehicles.
The Israeli hotel chain, Leonardo Hotels, will be opening two new hotels in Berlin in 2009. The first hotel to be opened sporting the exclusive brand name of Leonardo Royal is taking shape nearby the Alexanderplatz. The listed building is being completely renovated and will be opening in August 2009 as the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin. 346 bedrooms plus function rooms for up to 500 persons are envisaged. Visitors with an interest in architectural features will have a real treat to look forward to in the reception lobby: here the attractive Art Deco style of the building – which was built between 1930 and 1931 – is to be preserved.
The second hotel is currently under construction in the City West district / Wilmersdorfer Straße. From August 2009, the Leonardo Hotel Berlin will be offering visitors the chance to stay in a hotel in the three-star plus category. 274 rooms with luxury furnishings, a bar and a breakfast restaurant are ingredients which ensure the visitor of a pleasant stay in the heart of the German capital.
The Spanish Camper Group is not only renowned for its exquisite shoes. It also has a five-star hotel in Barcelona and is currently investing in another project, close to the Hackescher Markt in Berlin-Mitte. The design hotel Casa Camper will offer 54 elegant rooms and conference facilities. The first guests will be able to enjoy the luxurious atmosphere from autumn 2009 onwards.
In Berlin Mitte the “Soho House” concept is being implemented for the first time in Germany. Noble clubhouses of this kind can already be found in London and New York. The investors have selected the former “House of Unity” at the foot of Prenzlauer Berg as the ideal location. The Soho House Berlin is scheduled to open here in the autumn of 2009. In the listed building the luxurious wellness area, modern conference rooms and hotel with spacious apartments on the third and fourth floor will be open to all visitors. There will also be an exclusive area for club members only. Another highlight is planned on the second floor. This is where the office of the former State President of the GDR, Wilhelm Pieck, is being restored to its original condition.
Meet at the “Kran“, Stay at the Boutique Hotel – Hotels Opening in 2010
Nordic charm takes up residence in Berlin’s new centre in February 2010. That’s the opening date of the Scandic Group’s new hotel on Potsdamer Platz. It will offer guests 572 rooms, several restaurants and state-of-the-art meeting facilities. From the central location of the new Scandic Hotel, visitors can reach well-known attractions like the Brandenburg Gate or the Reichstag in just a few minutes on foot.
A new InterCityHotel is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2010 at Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. It will boast more than 200 guest rooms and a wellness centre. Furthermore, six meeting rooms will be available for larger events close to the airport. The mid-range hotel will be operated by InterCityHotel GmbH.
Staying at Osthafen – the Spanish NH group fulfils the wishes of numerous visitors to the city. A four-star conference and banquet hotel is under construction on the banks of the river Spree. It will provide approximately 385 guest rooms, meeting rooms and a wellness area. The hotel will also boast an extravagant facade. It will have a “crane structure” consisting of two buildings. The lower building will support the second construct that will jut out over the Spree. In keeping with the atmosphere of the Osthafen, the NH-Hotel will look just like a gigantic crane. Guests will be able to cross the threshold of this new hotel in the summer of 2010 for the first time.
Hospitality Alliance AG, the operator of the Ramada Hotels, is also locating its new three-four-star project in a central location. Its new hotel with 336 rooms, including 15 suites, a restaurant and a fitness centre will be right on Alexanderplatz. Furthermore, the meeting and convention market is an important target group for the new Ramada Hotel. Eight multifunctional conference rooms, which can accommodate up to 500 guests, will be spread over 800 square metres. The opening is planned for May 2010.
Tryp Berlin Mitte is scheduled to welcome its first guests in autumn 2010. Sol Meliá, the Spanish market leader, is currently planning the construction of the three-star hotel on Chausseestraße/Berlin Mitte. The hotel will boast 225 stylish guest rooms and three meeting rooms with state-of-the-art communications technology.
The Leonardo Hotel Group is planning another large-scale project and has already signed a lease agreement for the plot Am Zirkus 1 in Berlin-Mitte. This will add another hotel, the Leonardo Boutique Hotel Berlin in the four-star segment, to the Berlin hotel landscape. It is due for completion in December 2010 and will have 310 guest rooms and 32 suites.
Friedrichstraße has proved to be a profitable hotel location. Hence, large entrepreneurs like to invest their capital in projects in and around the popular Berlin shopping boulevard. For instance, in the construction of a four-star-plus hotel at number 100. It will offer 221 guest rooms, conference rooms and a large wellness area with pool. The building complex, a project of the Hotusa Hotel Group, is to open its doors in 2010.
From Hotel Barcelona to Waldorf Astoria – Hotels Opening from 2011 onwards
Come the spring of 2011, a breath of New York air will be wafting over Berlin. This is when the luxury Waldorf Astoria Group will be opening their first new-build hotel in Europe. This will be going up directly opposite the Memory Church, which means it will be located in the immediate vicinity of the Kurfürstendamm and the Zoological Garden. The 31-storey Waldorf Astoria Berlin will feature 242 luxurious rooms and suites, a conference area covering more than 1 100 square metres and a lavish spa facility. It is the second hotel in the Hilton family to grace the German capital and is intended to supplement the facilities on offer at the Hilton Berlin, which lies four kilometres away.
Visitors entering the new Hotel Barcelona on the Alexanderplatz as of the summer of 2011 will find their gaze drawn upwards towards the ceiling. 30 metres above them will be the swimming pool of the four-star-house – separated from the foyer by a single sheet of glass. Bathers will be able to enjoy not only a breathtaking view that plumbs the depths of the Hotel Barcelona, but also a wonderful outlook over historic Berlin. With just under 500 rooms and suites, this will be the first hotel in the Spanish Best Hotels chain to be built on German soil. In addition, there are also plans for a small ballroom, meeting rooms, bars and a Spanish restaurant.
Meetings and conferences on the Spree – this dream is set to become a reality in the future in front of the Twin Towers near the Elsenbrücke. This is the point where the construction of a so-called ‘floating hotel’ is envisaged. The two-storey, floating lodge will incorporate 102 double rooms plus a conference room and a restaurant which can seat 100 people at a time. Details regarding commencement of construction and completion date for the project are not yet known.
Luxury rooms with view of the Berlin city walls – the NDC Management is currently planning the construction of a four-star hotel in the direct vicinity of the Red Town Hall. The building will have eight storeys and blend harmoniously into the historical block-style architecture on the site next to the Parochial Church. The plans envisage 230 guest rooms and a conference centre. Given its proximity to the Kirchgarten and the town walls dating back to the 17th/18th century, guests are guaranteed breathtaking views.
