The history of the Stuttgarter Hof from 1907
Executive Director, Dipl. Kfm. Axel Steinwarz
"I have found a place in my heart since 1999 for the strange ruins, the remains from the Gründerzeit (Founder Epoch), the war modesty and ingenuity of Berlin."
Always a good address
By the time the Stuttgarter Hof was build, the Anhalter Strasse was already in 1907 a good address. On one side you had Berlin's biggest train station, on the other the government, newspaper and export district as well as opposite the park with the Prinz Albrecht Palais. To imagine the former hotel today, it requires some imagination: no running water, but in each room a jug of water and a wash basin to brush your teeth, a bucket and a chamber pot and linoleum floors. But many bellboys and good service. The luggage was taken by the staff to the train station.
In the thirties the hotel boomed and its director had a preference for beautiful things, such as a showcase of Meissen porcelain, precious furniture and much more. And he also introduced a new piece of equipment for all rooms - the boot jack. Then the war came. During the bomb alert a hotel employee walked with one hand siren along the corridors and sent the guests to the air-raid shelter. For breakfast guest had to provide travel food tickets for butter, sugar and bread. Only few staff remained. Nevertheless, the hotel was always fully booked. Shortly before the war was over, the front house and the left wing burnt down.
The hotel was reopened in 1945 with 40 beds. The hotel garden was turned into a vegetable garden and own chickens provided the eggs for breakfast. Only the breakfast room was heated. In very cold temperatures, there was no water. In the basement, two wash rooms were furnished and the staff gave out hot water. Some guests insisted on warmed bricks for their bed. The "partial ruins" were for many years considered one of the most unusual German hotels. From the four-story Neo Baroque sandstone facade of the front building only the ground floor remained. In 1986 the ruins were demolished. The first new building arose.
Recent history and present days
since 1999 the relexa hotel group invested approximately 7.5 million Euros in the Stuttgarter Hof to convert it and also extend the hotel. After extensive construction work the traditional hotel was once again opened on 9th October 2002. Today the hotel has 208 rooms, a restaurant, a bar and a wellness area.
Source: H.-J. Weinreich »The chronic of the hotel Stuttgarter Hof in Berlin-Kreuzberg« , 1986
The insurance company ALLIANZ AND CLUB STUTTGART were the building manager, hence the name
