The Fontenay, a new five-star luxury hotel located in the heart of Hamburg, officially opened its doors on March 20. The 130-room, privately owned hotel will occupy over 15,000 square feet of real estate on the shores of Lake Alster. Designed as an urban luxury resort by Hamburg-born architect Jan Störmer, the building includes bold designs and is covered with thousands of white porcelain tiles that reflect the waters of the lake and the fluid lines of the park that surround the hotel.
Design
The organic shape of The Fontenay consists of three intertwining circles, designed to resemble large treetops. The circular, flowing architecture repeats itself throughout the hotel; aside from the partitions dividing each guest room, there are no straight walls within the hotel and no wall is parallel to another. Corridors curve around two 290-square-foot high open spaces at the heart of the hotel and guest rooms and balconies follow the circular flow of the building’s exterior.
Each piece of furniture had to be custom-made to fit the architecture, including the one ton, 172-square foot-long, woven-to-order carpet from Hong Kong. Other details include wood flooring sourced from the forest of the Abbey of Fontenay in France, extra-long beds from Schramm Werkstätten and all of the custom-made furniture. Almost all rooms and suites have a balcony, some facing Lake Alster, while others overlook the nearby park.
Food & Beverage
The Fontenay will have three restaurants ranging from fine dining to more casual all day options.
Located on the roof, overlooking the city of Hamburg, Lakeside, the 40-seat fine dining restaurant, will be under the direction of Michelin-starred Executive Chef Cornelius Speinle. Chef Speinle garnered experience working in restaurants throughout Europe and the UK, including Heston Blumenthal’s three-star Michelin restaurant, The Fat Duck, in Bray, England. The restaurant will serve a menu that reflects international and modern influences, while also paying homage to its classic roots.
The Fontenay Bar on the sixth floor has a 320-degree panoramic view that spans across the lake over the entire city. The Fontenay bar takes guests on a trip back in time through the centuries-old history of the bar while remaining current with the latest cocktail trends.
Parkview is a relaxed garden restaurant serving globally inspired dishes. With its high ceilings and large windows, terrace, and views across the lake, this space merges the outside with the inside.
At the heart of the hotel is the Atrium Lounge where guests can enjoy afternoon tea, coffee or a light snack.
Spa & Wellness
The 10,764-square-foot Fontenay Spa occupies the top floor of the hotel and offers views of the city, as well as a 215-square-foot indoor/outdoor infinity pool. The spa will also house the first La Mer spa in the German speaking region. The Fontenay Spa will offer therapeutic body treatments, including massages, facials, holistic therapy, and personal training.
The 237-square-foot Fontenay Deluxe Rooms are priced from $399 per room per night on a room only basis and includes WiFi, complimentary beer and non-alcoholic beverages from the mini-bar, tax and service. Direct flights to Hamburg operate from many European and North American hubs, including New York.
For more, visit www.thefontenay.de/en.
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