Wonna be a seafarer? Go on board! Hamburg’s unique HafenCity-Hotel: Friendly!
Do you want a dry and high view in a fragant harbour in order to watch coming and going cruising vessels or a place where you have a very modern and comforable shelter, where your sea chest can be parked before you are going on board? I found it, close to the Cruise Center, in Germany biggest and busiest port. The “25 hours Hotel Hamburg-Hafencity”!
Already at the Check-in you feel the atmosphere of exporting goods. Before the containers ruled worldwide shipping everything had be stuffed in wooden cases or crates. Here you will be stuffed into spacy cabins, which is your room. After getting your cabin-card you go up with the lift. Of course! But, the inside of the lift is a like crate with a little screen where impressions of the city will be shown. The air-con is a bit drafty as it shall give you the feeling of standing still ashore.
Entering the room – sorry the cabin – shiny timber planks telling me that I must not be afraid to become sea-sick. To the right the bath-room. Under the wash-basin a rubberbucket with a rope. Shall I wash the floor with the water from the river Elbe? No, it’s just a wastepaper basket. Funny also the wallpaper with sailors tattoo storypictures. Next to the secretary and mini-bar, which could be also a sea chest, hangs a Jacob’s ladder. What? The Jacob’s ladder is the predecessor of the gangway, still nowadays used by the port and river pilots when climbing on board. Head for heights is not required for me and here, because I am feeling immediately fine.
Very thoughtful the cuddle toy and a hotty at my bed-side for stormy nights. Outside I mean!
Stacks of oriental carpets, vintage furniture, design classics and of course everywhere naval things. That’s the restaurant and bar “Heimat” (homeland) which offers a wide varity of internationally touched local food and a superb breakfast. In case you like to sit a bit isolated, take the double-stacked 20ft containers or sit in front of the door. Hamburg is not so wet like people are saying. On certain evenings some entertainment will be offered in the “Heimat”. Check it in the daily news-flyers on the tables or at the reception.
For sunny days you can rent a bike from the hotel, but the famous “Speicherstadt” or the “St. Pauli Landungsbrücken” are still in walkting distance, same as the inner city.
But in case it is really raining you can walk just across the street and visit the International Maritime Museum or stay in your cabin and wait for the next cruising vessel, because 24 hours are not enough for this hotel since it also has a rooftop sauna, a club room, a record-player room, an informal biz-corner and WLan everywhere. Friendly, I said in the subtitle! Yes, the entire stuff is always very helpful and pretty professional although they are younger than in other hotels in this category.
Text: Wolfgang G. Külper – Photos: Angelika Steffen
VIDEOS. Coming soon on www.lifestyle-tv.com/25hoursHotel and www.lifestyle-tv.com/MaritimMuseum