Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

In her magical book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Patricia Schultz introduces Hamburg's Hotel Jahreszeiten with, "This is the stuff grand hotels are made of." This intriquing tidbit, coupled with the fact that the hotel is well over one hundred years old and has won every conceivable award, left me wanting to explore it. Immediately.

The responsibility of planning events that appeal to any or all of our 130 club members is a big pill to swallow for a newbie. Keeping a wide range of venues and activities has served us well so far. I knew that a tour of this Hamburg mention was a must, so I set out with a take-no-prisoners 'tude to get us a behind-the-scenes tour of this enchanting establishment--in English. Two no's led to a yes, which later led to a cancellation on their part, drama, panic, drama...and then finally a confirmation--with two whole days to spare. Finally, on a crisp Hamburg Saturday morning 23 excited women gathered in a lovely meeting room decorated with fresh flower arrangements the size of the Black Forest anxiously awaiting our tour of this perfect place.


Enter: Herr Freyler: best tour guide in Germany. Manager of Guest Relations and an employee of 36 years, Herr Freyler taught us everything we needed to know about his beloved Vier Jahreszeiten, starting the year it opened, 1897. After the history lesson/comedy show was complete, we were whisked upstairs to see a room with a balcony view, a collection of breath-taking antiques, and a suite fit for a Queen (and by a queen I mean the American Women's Club Activities Chairwoman, of course).

The first room we toured offered a view of the Binnenalster. The room was small in size but huge in cuteness and outdoor scenery.

In the Maria Callas suite we saw two rooms decorated perfectly to match the feel of the hotel: antique-y and pretty--all for a modest 1200 euro per night.

The hotel's elaborate antique collection is displayed as art throughout the hotel. Most pieces are displayed at the top of the stairs so as not to be missed.

That's right--that's a giant ashtray right smack in the middle in the table. The fact that this striking antique is striking justifies me adoring it even though it's made for folks to sit and smoke like chimnies all day.



Now that's one pretty bar.




The hotel's 1-Michelin star Restaurant Haerlin is formal, exquisite, excellently regarded, and expensive. It was by the Haerlin family that the hotel was first opened. It is also here that 3,000 euro bottles of wine from the hotel's awesome wine cellar are consumed, at times multiple times per week. This is where I'll celebrate when my winning numbers are called. Because Restaurant Haerlin is settled in a city which boasts the highest per capita income in all of Europe, no tables remain empty in this luxurious eatery.

Visiting the wine cellar was a highlight of our entertaining tour. Here over 500 bottles of wine are waiting for important businessmen and members of German high-society to enjoy them. One bottle hiding deep in the shadows was bottled the year Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten opened and is now a modest 113 years old.  Herr Freyer told us of the escape routes from the cellar into the underground train to protect guests from the 1940-44 bombing raids. (Miraculously the hotel escaped unharmed.)

I didn't know which bottle was from 1897, but I looked hard behind the gate so techinically I can say I did see it.

Our fun-filled morning ended at the hotel's Cafe Condi, a popular lunch institution decorated splendidly in perfect Biedermeier fashion, where we had a chance to eat, drink, and discuss the unforgettable Saturday morning we had just enjoyed.

Sadly, I didn't eat ALL of these myself. But there's always next time.




The tour of the Vier Jahreszeiten was a lovely outing and another tick for Hamburg and the AWC: two new members in my circle who never disappoint.