Hamburg’s first Design Hotel Gastwerk opened its doors in the year 2000 in a former gasworks in Bahrenpark. Where coal was once bunkered, guests today stay in a spacious loft building with spa, bar and restaurant…
We took a look around at the invitation of Sales and Marketing Manager Stefan Pallasch…
Ex-gasworks coal depot and animal feed factory
The former gasworks helped light up west Hamburg’s streets and houses for the first time around the year 1890. After its restoration as a brick-and-steel industrial monument, it metamorphosed into the Gastwerk, Hamburg‘s first Design Hotel.
The structure’s brick atrium, 600 m2 of light-immersed space, helps create the hotel’s unique loft character that has helped make the Gastwerk a premier address among the city’s hotels since opening nearly 15 years ago.
Everywhere you turn in the Gastwerk, a registered historical landmark, there are reminders of the building’s changeful history: Initially used as the gasworks coal bunker, the majestic hall was next occupied by a feed factory that is still evoked today by the antique milling works transformed now into a bar in the Denk.mal conference room area.
Hotel rooms, events area, restaurant, bar, and spa
Today, the hotel boasts 141 rooms, lofts and suites, a variably-configurable conference and events area, the Mangold Restaurant, the L.Bar and the Gastwerk SPA.
In the spacious guest rooms you can run your fingers over the old brickwalls. Some of the windows are set unusually low to the floor, accentuating the loft experience and the reuse concept.
For events there is a sizeable conference area with its own Denk.Mal Bar, a lounge, and conference room with large skylight.
The hotel’s Mangold Restaurant with its luxe atmosphere is very popular. The Parmesan soup with Jaipur curry and sesame beef as well as the Zander filet on horseradish pickles tasted out of this world!
After your repast, stroll into the L.BAR or the adjacent lounge – these are truly numerous – to enjoy one of the many grappa varieties or other pleasurable kind of firewater.
Artist in residence Georgios Engonidis
Like most Design Hotels, the Gastwerk accents the property with many design objects, like paintings, photographs or sculptures.
They are fortunate here to have available in the person of Georgios Engonidis a dedicated, talented artist in residence with a studio in the hotel. And he, in turn, of course has the good fortune to have an innovative and openminded patron.
Inspired by visionary hotelier Kai Hollmann, designed and implemented by Regine Schwethelm, Sibylle von Heyden and Armin Fischer, the Gastwerk was conceived as a fascinating symbiosis of rough, utilitarian structure and elegant contemporary hotel design.
Warm thanks to Stefan Pallasch for the kind invitation and tour of the extensive property!
Check rates and availability here.
The Gastwerk Design Hotel is a member of designhotels.com, a handpicked collection of only 200 hotels worldwide.
By the way, one of them is 25hours Number One (that we previously reported on), another Design Hotel that is located a stone’s throw from the Gastwerk in the same Bahrenpark area.
The Bahrenpark location may not be super close to Hamburg’s centre, but the hotel is reached easily and quickly via public transit.
1 Comment
Very impressive, comfortable spaces, beautiful decorated.