Finally, Hamburg has a perfect place to stay: on Heimhuder Straße in the residential Rotherbaum district, amid elegant white villas with high-ceilinged rooms and green front gardens.
The stilwerk Hotel Heimhude is the brainchild of Alexander Garbe. The Hamburg native knows a thing or two about beautiful things: Garbe owns stilwerk, a platform for design, culture and living, which successfully showcases major furniture brands at its two big locations, on Hamburg’s harbor and in Düsseldorf.
He has now opened two hotels: the stilwerk Hotel Heimhude, with 23 rooms and studios, and the stilwerk Hotel Blankenese, with 12 studios right on the Elbe. We highly recommend the Blankenese one, too, and it is also a member of our club.
But what is it like to stay at the stilwerk Hotel Heimhude?
If you arrive by train, you get off at Dammtor, an ICE station, and stroll a few hundred meters into the neighborhood. Among the magnificent houses, the hotel entrance is easy to miss. Think Notting Hill meets the Hamptons. Inside: a cozy reception with an honesty bar, a small shop and a large breakfast room. The colors are fairly bold, the floors beautiful, the atmosphere relaxed. You feel at home in no time.
We stayed in a Medium Studio, with 18 square meters (195 square feet). Here, too, the mood is cozy: a Thonet chair, Occhio lamps, a Wittmann bed, fluffy organic-cotton linens and a view of the garden. Top marks.
The Garden
Speaking of the garden: It is stunning. You feel like a local, perhaps a publishing executive or the boss of an ad agency. With only 23 rooms, there is a good chance of claiming one of the deck chairs and taking a day off right here. Two of the studios even have their own terrace with a deck chair and a view of the garden. Add some morning sun, and drinks are available all day from the honesty bar (you simply write down what you take). Delightful.
Breakfast
In the morning, the air smells of freshly brewed coffee. A staff member asks what you would like; everything is very warm and, above all, very personal. On a sideboard, there are several kinds of granola, freshly baked bread and all sorts of extras. Put simply: Nothing was missing. P.S.: The other guests look like Pretty Hotels regulars, too, so you are in good company.
Furniture
Naturally, the idea is that you can buy the furniture you find in the hotels at stilwerk’s stores or online. The brands at Heimhude include Wittmann, Gärsnäs, FDB Møbler, Thonet, Ligne Roset, Zeitraum, Nor11, Gervasoni, Frama, Audo, Occhio, Louis Poulsen and &Tradition.
Gym
For athletes, and anyone who feels like one, the stilwerk team has even turned a room into a small gym. It is no fitness palace, but it is perfect for keeping up your daily workout.
Good to Know
The hotel has a few bikes that guests can borrow for free. It is only a five-minute ride to the Alster and about ten minutes to the lovely shops of Eppendorf and Eimsbüttel. The area is, of course, one of the most beautiful places to live in Hamburg. The hotel is happy to share restaurant tips. Our own Hamburg favorites: Café Paris in the city center and Neumann’s Bistro & Weinbar in the Grindelviertel.
Prices
Doubles from 199 euros, including breakfast.
Booking & Contact
stilwerk Hotel Heimhude
Heimhuder Straße 16
20148 Hamburg
Germany
Tel: +49 40 4133300
