25hours Hotel HafenCity

25hours Hotel HafenCity

25hours Hotel HafenCity, the first hotel to be built in the up-and-coming waterfront area of Hamburg, Germany, is now open. The budget deluxe property offers a modern take on a sailor's club and is the newest property from the 25hours hotel group, helmed by its passionate CEO Christoph Hoffman. The concept is based on 25 stories collected from sailors interviewed in a local seaman's club. These stories are woven into the fabric of the hotel and are captured in log books in each guestroom, as well as in illustrations that adorn the walls.

The hotel offers 170 cabin-style suites, a rooftop sauna, restaurant, bar, a Mare Kiosk, a Radio Room business center and unconventional meeting spaces, including one housed in a repurposed shipping container. For budding musicians, the hotel's Vinyl Room is the perfect place to play DJ, and bands can practice free of charge in the Gibson Music Room, in exchange for performing in the hotel. Those on the go can pick up one of the hotel's bikes or even a MINI to zip around town, both free of charge.

A Sailor's Story
"It all began with the fictitious sailor Kuttel Daddeldu from the poems of Joachim Ringelnatz," says 25hours' CEO Christoph Hoffmann; "He's a good soul who's deeply rooted in the seafaring life, but also coarse and a little cheeky. That's exactly the character we wanted for the 25hours Hotel HafenCity."

Markus Stoll, lawyer turned storyteller, visited a seaman's club in Hamburg every day for six weeks to collect real stories from sailors of different backgrounds and nationalities. Passionate about storytelling, and the romantic notion of the maritime world, he adapted the first-hand accounts into semi-fictional stories that became the essence of the hotel's concept. The sailors' lives, dreams and mottos appear not only in the log books in each room but also in the illustrations on the walls of each guest room, created by Berlin artist Jindrich Novotny.

Harbor Living
The ground floor, with lobby, restaurant, bar and shop presents a comfortable version of harbor living, and is the hub of the hotel. The HEIMAT Küche + Bar is a relaxed restaurant, serving large and hearty sharing dishes that feature ingredients from farmers in the region. Other products are also locally sourced, including coffee from the Hamburg roastery Elbgold and tea specialties from Samova. The Mare Kiosk is stocked with souvenirs, magazines, and even bike accessories.

On the Club Floor a relaxed spacious lounge area and Vinyl Room invite guests to listen to their favorite tunes on turntables. In the Radio Room business center iMacs, printers and two Skype booths, provide young entrepreneurs and business travellers with everything they need. There are also meeting spaces for two to 200 people, including a shipping container in the lobby (25m²) as well as a Mare Gallery (300m²) with separate entrance for private functions.

With stunning views over the Hafencity harbor, the sixth-floor Finnish sauna has an adjacent open area for relaxation or exercise with free weights and a punching bag. For EUR 10 guests have unlimited use during their stay, including beer, water and fruit.

To explore the HafenCity area and beyond, the hotel provides complimentary bikes and three MINIs, available for up to four hours, also free of charge.

The Interiors
A Hamburg-based team composed of creative director Fabian Tank from Eventlabs, Stephen Williams Associates and former set designer Conni Kotte are responsible for the industrial, yet inviting interiors. "Even with the industrial theme, it was important for us to create an environment that is also comfortable," explains interior designer Conni Kotte; "The guests should feel like they can be themselves here." Together with storyteller and creative director Markus Stoll, the team transformed the interiors into a modern sailors' club with selected vintage pieces that give the spaces their authentic charm. In the lobby there is a hemp carpet from a small Turkish manufacturer, together with Brazilian furniture from the -60s, while the restaurant features Dutch industrial design furniture.

Inside the rooms, dubbed 'cabins," high pile carpets and wide wooden floorboards meet with custom-made furnishings. All rooms have a rope ladder that serves as a shelf and a workplace / mini bar in the form of a travel trunk designed by the local furniture maker Likoo.

Location
The hotel is located in the heart of HafenCity in the Überseequartier (Transoceanic Quarter), next to attractions such as the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, the cruise terminal and the International Maritime Museum. Hamburg's downtown areas like the city hall and Mönckebergstrasse are easily accessible within a 10 minutes walk.

HafenCity is currently one of the most prominent inner-city waterfront development projects in the world and will increase the size of Hamburg by 40 percent.

Rates
25hours Hotel Hafencity is offering a special opening rate through August 14 of EUR 99, including free WiFi and tax, excluding breakfast. Thereafter rates will range from EUR 105 – 230.
www.25hours-hotels.com/hafencity
www.designhotels.com/25hours_hafencity