Focus On: Steigenberger Hotels

Starting in Germany in 1930, Steigenberger has spent the last few decades expanding into neighboring Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy and more recently Egypt. Offering mostly five-star accommodations, with several four-star hotels slipped in as well, Steigenberger enjoys a reputation as the most luxurious hotel chain in Europe. Though most Steigenberger hotels are set in magnificent historical buildings, some are more modern. They also boast gargantuan chalet-style hotels in their mountain locations. Though most are located in major metropolitan areas, some are set in more rural surroundings, like the Steigenberger Inselhotel Konstanz, which is located on a private island in an old Dominican Cloister. Here’s a sampling:

Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof, Vienna, Austria

The Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof’s historical Viennese building fits right in with its vintage neighbours in the heart of the city, which has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here you can walk to the Hofburg, the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the famous Kohlmarkt. The hotel features 186 rooms, and its two suites come with private rooftop terraces from which you can survey your surroundings. For relaxation, the hotel offers the 250-square-meter SpaWorld, where you can exercise in a fitness centre and relax in a sauna or steam bath. The 500-square-meter conference area is quite popular with those staging events, and the hotel’s Café Herrenhof specializes in Austrian pastries and homemade gateaux, all under a glorious glass cupola in the hotel’s centre. At night the café becomes a piano bar, and authentic Viennese cuisine is also served in the Restaurant Herrenhof.

Steigenberger Hotel Berlin, Berlin, Germany

The Steigenberger Hotel Berlin is a most modern hotel for a most modern neighborhood. Set within walking distance from the city’s famous Kurfürstendamm Boulevard, the hotel puts you close to Berlin’s most exclusive shops, department stores, cafés and restaurants, not to mention lots of nightlife. The Steigenberger Hotel Berlin has 386 rooms and 11 suites, and they are also proud of the executive floor with its lounge, swimming pool, sauna and relaxing massage service. If you have business to conduct, there is a business centre and 15 conference rooms that can accommodate up to 300 guests. Feel like an after-dinner stogie? Just stop into the hotel cigar lounge. In the Berliner Stube you can sample fresh draft beer and fine wine. As with its Vienna counterpart, the Steigenberger Hotel Berlin also offers a piano bar.

Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel, Scheveningen, The Netherlands

This palace by the sea is one of the most iconic images in all the Netherlands. Dating from 1885 and designed by German architects Johann Friedrich Henkenhaf and Friedrich Ebert , the Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel towers over the vibrant Palace Promenade of the traditional Dutch beach resort of Scheveningen. All the museums and palaces of Den Haag are minutes in one direction, and the lonely sand dunes and crowded beaches of the North Sea are in the other. In the hotel you can dine at the classic Kurzaal Restaurant, where you can start your dinner with fresh oysters and Champagne and end it with live jazz. Or dine at Kandinsky Restaurant, which serves French and Italian cuisine, along with sea views from its terrace. There’s also a bar, a fitness room and 19 conference rooms that can accommodate up to 600 guests. Re-opened in 1979 after a lengthy closure, the hotel also boasts its own casino.

Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere, Davos Platz, Switzerland

Whether you’re in Switzerland for the winter skiing or the summer hiking, the 1895 Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere makes a wonderful place to which to return at night. Nearby are such Alpine attractions as Vereina Tunnel, the Glacier Express, Klosters, and the Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Museum. One hundred twenty-seven large guest rooms are complimented by a spa centre featuring a sauna, a Jacuzzi, an indoor swimming pool and a massage service. You can also wander among the hotel’s lush gardens and experience wonderful cuisine in the grand restaurant. A modern business centre awaits business guests, and there’s also a beauty shop. If you’re in a hurry to get out the door, the hotel staff will even pack you a lunch before sending you on your way.

Steigenberger Inselhotel Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany

Life is good when experienced from a private beach on the shores of a private island. That’s the philosophy anyway of the Steigenberger Inselhotel Konstanz, a former monastery which boasts its own private beach and island. Privacy seemed to be on the monks’ minds, as there’s just a small romantic bridge separating you from Konstanz’s romantic old town. This is where you’ll find the train station. You can find it even faster by renting a bicycle from the hotel. Or maybe you’d prefer to stay in and melt away in the sauna and steam room or gaze at the 13th century wall paintings. If you’re hungry and crossing that bridge seems like too much work, you can choose between the formal See-Restaurant and the less formal bar, café and lakeside terrace.