In these times of economic uncertainty, does it actually make sense to set up a new hotel chain in the luxury segment? As a hotelier, it is this one question that is currently on my mind with regard to the future of hospitality. Fortunately, there are companies and passionate hoteliers who are not deterred by the current external circumstances, but think long-term.
Rather, visionaries in the hotel industry sound out new niches, sharpen their market position and challenge the traditional, established hotels.
In addition to all the top dogs like the hotels of the Mandarin Oriental group, the Four Season Hotels, the Ritz-Carlton, Regent and Kempinski properties and the Accor hotels, hoteliers need true entrepreneurial spirit. After all, the niche positioning should offer added value for the guest, attract employees and also establish itself in the long term.
And: The big luxury houses don’t sleep, but also offer exciting sub-brands. I’m thinking of Fairmont and Raffles by Accor or St. Regis by Marriott. I respect all the more the courage of the entrepreneurs who are courageously concentrating on markets in the top segment in the current times.
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An extremely promising new concept is the Hommage Luxury Hotels Collection, a Dorint Hotels brand. The chairman of the supervisory board and co-owner Dirk Iserlohe positioned the Dorint Hotels in three categories in a visionary and clear way on the market: with the three-star brand “Essentials by Dorint”, the classic four-star Dorint hotels and now also with the Hommage Hotels as five -star luxury establishments.
You probably know some of the Hommage Hotels: The Söl’ring Hof on Sylt, the Parkhotel Bremen, the Nassauer Hof in Wiesbaden and the Maison Messmer in Baden-Baden are all in the ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany” placed. You will find two new hotels of the Hommage Luxury Collection with the Grand Tirolia in Kitzbühel and with the new Hotel Kö59 in Düsseldorf, which was taken over by Intercontinental.
Vision meets zeitgeist: Carsten K. Rath discovers the hotels of the Hommage Luxury Collection
The vision of the Hommage Hotels meets the zeitgeist and focuses on the core of every house, the guest. The exclusive houses combine traditional luxury with the peculiarities of the respective location and benefit from the 60-year success story of the Dorint Hotels. I took a closer look at Nassauer Hof for you to see how the concept is being implemented in practice and whether the project is a success.
Service like in a picture book: Nassauer Hof
Traveling, dear readers, comes with some challenges these days. Any faux pas in service or service highlights are all the more prominent and remain in the memory for a long time.
The service at the Nassauer Hof begins long before I actually arrive. The friendly concierge contacts me by phone and asks regarding my intolerances, preferences and desires for spa treatments. This gallant manner appeals to me, I like to book extra services here that I probably wouldn’t have planned at all.
The water in the Nassauer Hof comes from the hotel’s own thermal spring.
(Photo: Hommage Hotels / Nassauer Hof)
My first positive impression is strengthened on closer inspection. The Nassauer Hof team is generous in apparently trivial matters. An absolute flagship of the Hommage Hotels. At least I noticed this attitude positively in the Söl’ring Hof on Sylt and in the Parkhotel in Bremen.
During my stay at the Nassauer Hof, I book my son at short notice and ask for a twin room. Unfortunately, this room type is not available at the selected time. The solution: we are upgraded to two connecting rooms. I have never experienced such a fast, flexible implementation of my admittedly not entirely self-evident wish.
If only everything went so smoothly. When I arrive, I have to deal with an external rental car provider because my rental car booking has not been finalized. I need a means of transport that will take me to the rental car station 15 minutes away. I ask the concierge what means of transport I might take other than a taxi. “No, our limousine will drive you, of course,” is his reply. The service really leaves nothing to be desired.
The history of the “Grande Dame” begins in 1813
The Nassauer Hof is a grande dame in the truest sense of the word. The history of the house begins as early as 1813. The hotel has always attracted prominent and illustrious visitors, including Tsar Nicholas II, Reinhold Messner, Audrey Hepburn; even the Dalai Lama stayed here.
Did you know that most millionaires in Germany stayed in Wiesbaden around the turn of the century? Always there as a contemporary witness: the Nassauer Hof as the first house on the square. For more than 200 years, the house shaped the region in and around the provincial town. It is still a real crowd puller today.
You don’t always have to travel to distant regions of Germany for a spontaneous wellness weekend.
(Photo: Hommage Hotels / Nassauer Hof)
The history of the house is eventful and characterized by numerous changes of ownership. Now I have the feeling that the hotel has finally arrived with the new General Manager Jakob Stöhrer. In any case, during my two-day short stay, I experienced the big, traditional, old school of grand hotels reinterpreted.
Now I would like the house to look further ahead and set a benchmark for the modern German grand hotel industry. As always, the key is the employees. I think I’ve been approached at least once by everyone at Nassauer Hof. This is personal hospitality!
Tip for a spontaneous wellness weekend
The spa with urban resort character is particularly worth mentioning: the equipment is of the highest standard. The treatment rooms are all spacious, and the fitness studio is perfectly equipped for small or extensive workouts. I relax during my stay in the rooftop pool. The water from the hotel’s own thermal spring is particularly gentle. Afterwards a visit to the sauna and the luxurious break is perfect.
Even if I like to travel: I’m glad that I don’t always have to travel to distant regions of Germany, to the Alps or to Sylt for a spontaneous wellness weekend. The good is sometimes within reach, for example in Wiesbaden.
Incidentally, the Hessian state capital is well worth seeing: the magnificent Kurhaus building with its columns and fountain is architecturally a feast for the eyes. Depending on what time of year I stay in Wiesbaden, I enjoy one or the other open-air concert here. The park, which was laid out in 1852, begins right behind the Kurhaus. A perfect place for my jogging laps.
Culinary art might be the last key for the Nassauer Hof to return to the absolute top league of luxury hotels.
(Photo: Hommage Hotels / Nassauer Hof)
Now I wish that the gastronomy in the Nassauer Hof also gets an extra boost. I might imagine that the already wonderful restaurant “Orangerie” with a new concept might inspire other, especially local guests. The restaurant “Das Goldstein” shows it: The wine cellar is impressive, I was impressed by the food and the service was so cordial that many a starred restaurant can learn a lesson.
Many hoteliers are currently entering into partnerships with external restaurants or star chefs. Maybe also an option for the Nassauer Hof? At least the restaurant has the potential to become the living room of the people of Wiesbaden once more. Culinary art might be the last big key for the Nassauer Hof to return to the absolute top league of luxury hotels. The key is already in, it just needs to be turned.
Since last year, the Nassauer Hof has been among the twelve best grand hotels in Germany. I’m curious to see whether the hotel will make it further up the list of luxury hotels this year. With its well-kept interior, the Nassauer Hof is already on par with the best grand hotels in Germany. Certainly some rooms are getting old. But the perfect care and warmth within the hotel walls make both shine twice.
Conclusion: In the grand hotel class
The house in Baden-Baden is also included in the ranking of “The 101 best hotels in Germany”.
(Photo: Tribute Hotels / Maison Messmer)
For some, the presentation of the Hommage Luxury Hotels Collection may seem conservative or even a bit too classic. The attitude and the effect of the individual houses reminds me of the true grand hotel industry. Jörg T. Böckeler, the CEO of the Hommage Hotels, and his teams reflect on the essential things and thus create a wonderful guest experience with style.
Quite unlike many young design palaces, where the tattoos of their waiters are more important than drawing attention to the guest. With a total of six houses, the Hommage Collection is now a serious player in the grand hotel industry.
About the author: As a former grand hotelier and operator of a travel platform, Carsten K. Rath is a professional globetrotter. He travels to all the hotels he writes regarding for the Handelsblatt on his own account. Rath is the brain behind the ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany”, whose partners include the Handelsblatt.
More: Ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany” – Four Seasons Hamburg and Schloss Elmau together at the top.
