Dom-Hotel

The Dom Hotel in Cologne is one of the oldest grand hotels in Europe. Due to extensive renovation work, the hotel will be closed until the end of 2014.

History

1855 came the family Ignatz Theodor Metz from Strasbourg to Cologne and earned the situated next to the cathedral complex of buildings and the adjoining Hôtel du Dome. To finance the cost you got an admission fee for entering the square in front of the cathedral (now Roncalliplatz ).

The first Hôtel du Dome was opened in November 1857. Due to incorrect static calculations crashed on 31 December 1885, the ceiling of the large banquet room, took place in the just no events. Then the second Hôtel du Dome was built in the Italian Renaissance style with a zehnbögigen arcade and opened in February 1886. After December 27, 1888, the City Council had approved the construction of the hotel, was the third Dom-Hotel 1890-1893. The edition has been observed that the now completed cathedral at the insistence of ZDV could be less obscured by the new hotel. It was in the time of the German Empire - next to the Excelsior Hotel Ernst existing since 1863 on the other side of the cathedral - the traditional accommodation of the glitterati in Cologne. Here several times lived Kaiser Wilhelm II, Mata Hari had here in 1916 a spy meeting.

During World War II Cologne was almost completely destroyed, and the Dom-Hotel was in ruins since 2 March 1945. Only three rooms were still habitable. Director and regime critic Roland Metz was previously found hanged in March 1944 in the attic of the north dome. Gradually emerged from the ruins again a luxury hotel. The former roof with its domes and towers was not re - erected; was built with a flat roof, which should disturb the view of the cathedral less. The house was rebuilt by the descendants of Theodore Metz until 1952 by Karl Wilkens and Edgar Lührs, the spouse of the daughters of Roland Metz. Until 1984, Edgar Lührs, the great grandson of Theodore Metz, shops.

In March 2001, the Cologne-based real estate group Lammerting acquired the majority stake in the Dom-Hotel GmbH & Co. KG; they sold it in January 2010 to the supplementary pension fund of the Bavarian communities. From 2010 to August 2012, the adjoining Blue - Gold House ( Domkloster 2) was fitted as an extension of the Dom-Hotel with 42 new suites and luxury rooms. This building was built in 1952 by architect Wilhelm and Rudolf Koep style Nierentisch time for the manufacturer of 4711 eau de cologne with a curtain wall of aluminum in its house colors turquoise and gold. For his monument protection compliant renovation, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development awarded May 22, 2012 a special prize.

Since March 2013, the old building of the Dom Hotel is rebuilt and modernized. In the summer of 2014, it should then be re-opened as a five -star - plus hotel under the brand Althoff Hotel Collection. On June 1, 2013, all employees were laid off.