Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

At the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, curtains open onto the Inner Alster Lake, where steam boats glide past much as they did when the hotel first opened its doors in 1897. The address sits within walking distance of Hamburg's center, close to Colonnaden and Gänsemarkt, so guests can explore on foot rather than by taxi. Inside, 156 rooms spread across five floors, from Deluxe rooms with garden or courtyard views to suites overlooking the lake, some with private balconies, bathrobes, minibars and soundproofing throughout. What sets this hotel apart from other grand hotels in the city is its Celebrity Suites: rooms once occupied by Maria Callas, Sir Peter Ustinov and Prince Heinrich of Prussia, each named for the guest who made it theirs, a lineage no newly built competitor can borrow. Downstairs, a spa runs to sauna, steam room and massage treatments, with a doctor on call, while a gym and library round out quieter hours. Families get a playroom for children, while business travellers get a conference hall with meeting and presentation facilities. Staff switch between English, German, Spanish and Italian without missing a step, and the concierge arranges transfers, tours and dry cleaning on request. Pet owners should look elsewhere, since animals aren't permitted anywhere on the property. Recognised by the Connoisseur Circle as Germany's best city hotel, the Vier Jahreszeiten earns that title less through spectacle than through consistency, a staff that has apparently decided service is the only thing worth perfecting, one guest and one lake view at a time. Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten has watched over Hamburg's Inner Alster Lake since 1897, its Celebrity Suites still named for guests like Maria Callas and Sir Peter Ustinov. Named Germany's best city hotel by the Connoisseur Circle, it is not for travellers bringing a pet.