With a surfeit of 5-star hotels (Berlin has 23, at last count), Germany has reclaimed its position as one of the world’s most luxurious locales.
The land of fairy tale castles and celebrated spa towns and glittering casinos frequented by European royals has polished its five-star luxury lodgings and recreated the glamour associated with 19th-century European romanticism.
One of the most affluent cities in Europe, Hamburg is a city notable for its lakefront mansions and 21st-century architecture. Two of the most impressive Belle Époque confections are Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg and Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, historic properties that are the embodiment of five-star hospitality and service.
Meanwhile, in Germany’s largest city, Berlin’s latest 5-star properties include Das Stue, housed in the former Royal Danish Embassy, and the brand-new Waldorf=Astoria Berlin, located in the heart of Berlin City West alongside the luxury shopping district of Kurfurstendamm. Nearby, the Hotel Concorde Berlin rises above the street like a Cunard ocean liner during the glory days of ocean crossings. Amidst the modernist cacophony of Potsdamer Platz, The Mandala Hotel is an oasis of serenity, with a design aesthetic that evokes the work of Danish architect and designer Finn Juhl.
Such an abundance of 5-star properties in Germany means that a good deal is more likely, which means that the summer of 2013 might well be your 5-star German summer.
(Source: Waldorf=Astoria Berlin)
Waldorf-Astoria Berlin: For the ultimate in bespoke luxury and gracious service, consider taking up residence at the brand-new, 32-floor Waldorf=Astoria Berlin, ideally situated between the retail pleasures of Kurfurstendamm and the lush flora and fauna of the Berlin Zoo in the fashionable western part of Berlin.
Should you arrive before your room is ready, avail yourself of the pleasures of the Guerlain Spa. As for dining, Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire is at the helm of Les Solistes, which is also where guests indulge in a copious breakfast buffet accompanied by starched linens, heavy silver, and fresh orchids.
Designed in a timeless contemporary style befitting the hotel’s Art Deco flagship in New York, the 232 rooms and suites at the Waldorf=Astoria Berlin are luxuriously furnished in velvet, leather, and burled wood. A chaise longue enables celluloid fantasies while a pillow menu with such choices as feather, cherry stone, and horsehair insures Hollywood dreams. Marble bathrooms feature mirrors with televisions and toiletries by Ferragamo.
Though The Lang Bar is named for Fritz Lang, one of Berlin’s (and Hollywood’s) most influential film directors, a cocktail in the elegant Art Deco lounge is akin to stepping into a classic Thirties film directed by the always-stylish Ernst Lubitsch. Berlin’s own beloved Romanisches Cafe, a 19th-century bohemian haunt for local artists, musicians, and intellectuals, is lovingly restored at the Waldorf=Astoria Berlin, serving cakes, jazz, and conversation – and, in the lobby, just as in New York, there’s even a Peacock Alley to fan your feathers.
(Source: The Mandala Hotel)
The Mandala Hotel: In the midst of the architectural cacophony of Potsdamer Platz exists a stylish sanctuary of calm: the 5-star Mandala Hotel. A favorite of celebrities for its understated elegance, the discreet 157-room boutique property complements its contemporary design with state-of-the-art technology.
The Mandala Hotel‘s 157 capacious rooms and suites evoke the design hallmarks of Finn Juhl, the Danish architect and designer known for his clean, modernist lines. The furnishings in the workspace and living area evoke an apartment furnished by Design Within Reach. Walk-in closets are sleek and spacious, while a fully-stocked kitchenette makes it easy to entertain in your own Berlin pied à terre.
Dining options include the independently-managed, Michelin-starred restaurant Facil, where floor-to-ceiling glass walls open onto a grove of trees. According to Chef Michael Kempf, “Facil is…for passionate connoisseurs” and breakfast in the lovely room is akin to dining in an oasis where fresh juices include blood orange, kiwi, carrot orange, and mixed berry.
The Mandala Hotel‘s top-floor Ono Spa is an aerie of well-being, with a visually arresting rooftop reflexology walk around the building’s perimeter. After a treatment, pause and sip a tea in The Ono Lounge with its expansive views – and revel in the splendors of modern-day Berlin.
Any time spent at The Mandala Hotel is good for the body, mind, and soul.
(Source: Kempinski)
Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg: The wealthiest city in Germany, Hamburg has celebrated its maritime pedigree throughout its 1,200-year history, though perhaps nowhere more elegantly than at Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg.
Opened in 1909, the Atlantic served the first-class passengers sailing on the original transatlantic “floating palaces.” Today, the spacious hallways of the Atlantic are lined with vitrines filled with nautical antiques and artifacts.
Also known as “the White House” of Hamburg for its majestic white columned facade facing Lake Alster, the Atlantic has been the Hamburg residence for the illustrious and the famous. As one guest from the Twenties remarked, a sojourn at the Atlantic was equivalent to being in residence at an “English country estate.”
Each afternoon at the Atlantic, high tea is served in the Grand Hotel lobby under the benign gaze of the German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, whose blue majolica portrait hangs above the fireplace. Classic cocktails from the Twenties are offered in the Art Deco Atlantic Bar, where a grand piano with pianist appears to be awaiting an entrance by Dietrich in a tuxedo.
Declared a German historic monument in 2010, the Atlantic recently completed a refurbishment of its 30 suites and 215 rooms. The high-ceilinged commodious rooms are customized with five-star luxury fittings such as Macassar ebony furniture, black Murano glass chandeliers, Carrara marble, silk upholstery, Nespresso coffee machines, and iPod docking stations.
Dining options at the Atlantic include the Atlantic Restaurant with stellar views of Outer Lake Alster. For those seeking Asian cuisine, Tsao Yang (Chinese for “sunrise”) offers a broad swath of Chinese gastronomy. A summer lunch atrium features a two-tiered fountain, which overflows with ice and oysters on the half shell during clement weather, while 13 historic salons and ballrooms are available for private events and celebrations.
In keeping with its five-star luxury standards, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg offers butler service, baggage packing and unpacking, 24-hour room service, shopping assistants, and limousine service. There’s also a plush, eight-person private screening room for private film screenings (or marriage proposals and canoodling) and an indoor pool and solarium.
After several nights in such splendor, you, too, might yearn to become a full-time resident of Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg.
(Source: Fairmont)
Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten: Nestled on the banks of the Inner Alster Lake, Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten is Hamburg’s “Grand Hotel,” a spectacular century-old landmark whose hallmark has been an unerring adherence to the philosophy, “Service, service, service.”
Hotelier Friedrich Haerlin purchased Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in 1897 for his 40th birthday and the hotel’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Haerlin Restaurant, is a testament to exemplary hospitality.
A sense of elegant “gemütlichkeit” is pervasive throughout Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, as if you might have wandered into the German equivalent of “Downton Abbey.” The commodious public spaces are furnished in grand European style (in keeping with the Fairmont tradition of historic luxury), while the 156 guest rooms and suites, carefully curated with period antiques, recall a wealthy godmother’s European pied à terre equipped with 21st-century technology.
For dining, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten offers no less than nine venues, including Cafe Condi, a charming Biedermeier café that was once the hay mow above the stables. An early breakfast offers lakeside views of intrepid oarsmen and joggers – but relax, you’re on vacation.
A respite at Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten offers guests a firsthand experience with Hamburg’s fabled Hanseatic hospitality – and an insider’s perspective on the romance of Hamburg.
(Source: Hotel Concorde Berlin)
Hotel Concorde Berlin Kurfurstendamm: “A Frenchman in Berlin” is how the management refers to this 5-star, French-owned property in the heart of City West – or, in other words, German luxury with a French twist.
Clad in Kirchheim shell limestone, the Hotel Concorde Berlin rises above the fabled Kurfurstendamm Boulevard like a Cunard ocean liner during the glory days of ocean crossings. The award-winning architecture by Jan Kleihues is complemented by the architect’s focus on interior design and lighting.
From the curated commissioned art collection to the furniture and the color schemes, everything at Hotel Concorde Berlin is a part of the overall design, which creates a sense of holistic harmony throughout the hotel. A spacious two-story lobby shimmers beneath the glow of a silver-leaf ceiling and the overall effect is somewhere between a Busby Berkeley musical set and a contemporary art museum in New York.
The 311 expansive rooms and suites at the 17-story Hotel Concorde Berlin are oases of relaxation, accented with American chestnut furnishings and deep red upholstery and modern artwork by Junior Toscanelli.
An exclusive refuge in the sky, the Club Etoile Lounge offers splendid vistas above Kurfurstendamm and a bird’s eye’s view of Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (named for the first emperor of a united Germany).
Hotel Concorde Berlin is a brief stroll from the 10,000-animal Berlin Zoo and the world’s largest aquarium – but first, enjoy the opulent breakfast buffet served at Restaurant Saint Germain with its panoramic view of the streets of Berlin.
An interlude at Hotel Concorde Berlin is an exercise in “savoir vivre” – or the art of living well in Berlin.
(Source: Hotel Concorde Berlin)
Getting There: AirBerlin, which is Germany’s second largest airline, flies to 150 destinations in 40 countries, and with their U.S. partner, American Airlines, travelers can access AirBerlin‘s flights from 59 North American cities.
With an average age of five years, AirBerlin‘s planes are modern and clean, as well as energy-efficient. While the reclining seats tend to cramp personal space, the effect is mitigated by an on-demand entertainment system with an extensive selection of films and music. Complimentary beverage service is available throughout the flight and the personable crew works to insure that you are as happy in the air as you are when you arrive in Berlin.
United Airlines flies nonstop from Newark to Hamburg. An evening departure on United Airlines from Newark gets you into Hamburg early in the morning – and if you’ve availed yourself of United Economy Plus seats, it’s possible that you’ll have slept a little on the flight, meaning that you’ll be ready for all the pleasures that Hamburg offers.
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