The Mvenpick Hotel Hamburg has water running through its veins. Even your entry into thehotel, through a spotlit tunnel, takes its inspiration from the sea. Projections on the wall simulatethe movement of light on water, and sound effects drip-drip into your consciousness as you aretransported to reception on a travelator.
These quirky additions to the welcome pack aren’t random effects. They’re part of an art project thatruns throughout the hotel. While builders worked on the messy job of transforming a water towerthat had been defunct since 1961 into luxury four star accommodation, artist Ulrike Bohme goton with providing a creative take on what this hotel once was; through colourful photography andfurnishings like huge lights that mirror the shapes of the water tanks.
The 226 bedroom hotel isn’t the only one in Hamburg with an industrial past; a restored gasworks
in the city also offers accommodation. But set in Sternschanzenpark, the tower is an unusual andrecognisable landmark that was built in 1863 to provide the water for a large chunk of the city.
A rubber duck and a bedtime adventure in every family bedroom
We arrive late after getting lost on the way from Holland. Our children are grouchy and ready forbed, but they perk up at reception when they are given free T shirts. On the front of the T shirts areinstructions that anyone reading them must buy the wearer an ice cream. The kids linger in the lift;just in case. In our adjoining bedrooms they find a handwritten note addressed directly to them aswell as kids dressing gown and slippers, and adventure bath kits. Rubber ducks are a common touchin Mvenpick hotels worldwide, but here, in a former water tower, the four little ducks guardingthe sweeties on our pillows seem extra appropriate.
From historic water tower to modern harbour
After a very hearty breakfast, we ride the lift to the 16th floor. A viewing area next to the penthouserooms gives us a clear view of the German city. The Ferris Wheel of the Hamburger Dom funfair and the spire of the iconic St Michael’s Church (Michaeliskirche) stand out against the clouds, butour first stop today will be Miniatur Wunderland; the biggest model railway in the world. It’s timeto leave our water tower behind, and head off towards the hub of the second biggest port in Europe.
