While hotel rooms are fairly easy to come by in Hamburg—there are some 26,000 guest beds in the city to accommodate roughly 2.4 million guests annually—inexpensive ones, unfortunately, are scarce.

Hotel Prem
(Editor's Choice)

This stately white house on the Alster was built in 1912 and maintains an intimate, romantic atmosphere in a central location near the main train station.

The Prem's lobby, done in marble floors with deep red walls, leads into a comfortable lounge that faces the lake. At the back of the building, the house restaurant, decorated in slate blue and peach tones and flooded with morning sunlight, stretches into a lush garden. The adjoining Swiss Chalet restaurant, with its pine walls and benches, copper pots, and upholstered chairs, offers fondues and other traditional Swiss dishes.

Don't be deceived by the Prem's stark white hallways, colored only by the occasional Chagall print. All 53 rooms are individually decorated in one of two distinct styles: antique or modern. Room Number 106 is lavishly adorned with deep-colored floral linens and white walls with Baroque era gold accents. An elegant veil floats over the queen bed. The bath is decorated in black marble and features both tub and shower.

By contrast, room Number 203, with teal carpet and king-sized bed, offers simpler, but still antique decor. A balcony presents a view of the lake; the bath is relatively small with a shower stall and brass fixtures.

For a more contemporary feel, request Number 204. This double is large enough to be billed as a junior suite, and with its garden view, is quieter than lakeside rooms.

Daily Rates: Doubles €207.
Contact: An der Alster 8-10, D-20099 Hamburg, tel. +49/040/2417 28-8, fax 280 38 15. Toll-free reservations: 800-457-4000.
Rating: Quality 18/20, Value 15/20

Room Number 14 in the original building is a spacious room with a high ceiling and features a spectacular view of the lake. Furnishings are a blend of Scandinavian and Asian designs.

In the neighboring, newer building, Room Number 341 features arched windows and a quieter atmosphere than the older building.

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Another 20 "Raphael Royal" rooms are junior suites that come with extras like wine and sandwiches in the evening, the morning paper, and a shoe shining service. Nonsmoking rooms are available. The top floor fitness center and proximity to the train station are two additional perks.

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Europäischer Hof

In an effort to add a distinctive feature to an otherwise ordinary hotel, Hamburg's largest private hotel recently added a seven-story leisure center that features of all things a 150-meter water slide, not to mention an indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sun terrace, squash courts, massages, and even a golf simulator. If you go, note the separate elevators for barefoot and shoed guests.

Fitness aside, this establishment is unremarkable. Its large, plain lobby was filled with smoke when we arrived. Guestrooms are modern, but lacking in charm. Twenty nonsmoking rooms are available.

In a most successful remodeling effort, the Jacob family has created a luxurious environment that reflects the hotels 200-year tradition while fully embracing modern design concepts and amenities. Once a destination for the painter, Max Liebermann, the hotel now houses one of the largest private art galleries in northern Germany.

The Jacob was built in 1791 as a guesthouse and stayed in operation for five generations. It was first known as a restaurant with a few sleeping rooms. After major renovations, the hotel reopened in 1996 with 86 rooms, 26 of which face the river. Furnishings are mostly in modern Danish styles.

Our room, Number 206, is one of the best: a corner room facing the Elbe and the industrial Airbus plant across the way. We especially appreciated the polished hardwood floor, peaked ceiling, modern lighting, and fax/modem connections. The luxurious bath featured heated marble floors, a double sink, both shower stall and bathtub, and the all-essential towel warmer. Airtight, hardwood doors insured us a silent nights sleep.

A serious rival for first choice is Room Number 100, the Liebermann room, whose furnishings include several Liebermann originals.

The various culinary options at the hotel match its contemporary atmosphere. Breakfast is a notch above the usual fare, with eggs and other warm entrees accompanied by a wide variety of fresh fruits and breads. In the summertime, guests can take their morning meal outside on the Linden Terrace. From the elegant dining room, six sets of double French doors open to a patio directly above the Elbe. A famous Liebermann painting of the Lindenterrase is on display at the Kunsthalle.

The main restaurant employs the number one sommelier in Germany and recently earned a Michelin star (review page 7). A trendy alternative is the Kleines Jacob, a wine bistro with local specialties from 9 to 29 DM ($5-$16). Wines from several countries are offered. The food menu is adapted to the wine selections, which range from 6 to 420 DM ($4-$235). Caricature paintings of the former owners decorate the walls. Reservations are recommended.

The staff at this hotel was consistently friendly and helpful with everything from valet parking to navigating the city.

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Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg

For decades, glossy travel magazine polls consistently placed the Four Seasons located on the western shore of the inner Alster, in the heart of Hamburgs prime retail and commercial district at or near the top of the worlds finest hotels. But in 1989, after 90 years of family management, during which the hotel survived the economic turmoil of two world wars, the founding Haerlin family was finally forced to sell. Under new, foreign ownership, however, the hotel slipped badly.

Now it has been sold again, this time to the Raffles International chain and a return to past glory seems possible. Over the past six months, management has installed new lighting, air-conditioning, sound systems, and renovated all 158 rooms. The result is a historic hotel that offers a remarkably efficient use of space in even the smallest rooms; walk-in closets are a standard feature, as are Internet access via speedy ISDN lines, pay TV, and in-room fax capabilities. The baths have all been remodeled, and for extra charm, each room has its own bath tub thermometer for finely adjusting the water temperature.

Many luxury hotels spend fortunes to create the sense of history and elegance that are authentic at this establishment. Three generations of antique furnishings have been collected and displayed together over the years. A collection of 16th and 17th century Flemish-Gobelin tapestries adorn the walls of the main foyer, and Baroque wardrobes and Renaissance chests furnish the public areas.

Most importantly, the first-rate, personalized service is back. House-made truffles and homegrown flowers welcome guests when they arrive. And the 100-year-old guest card file remains. Personal preferences and aversions are duly noted for each guest. Every comment, criticism, and special request from bedtime literature to shapes of pillowsis recorded and honored on every repeat visit.

If an overnight stay at the new Four Seasons wont fit in the budget, you might consider a lunch or dinner at its main restaurant, The Haerlin, to take in the view of the Alster and the fine cuisine prepared by its new chef (see review, below).

Though the 90-year-old Atlantic is said to be among Hamburgs best, after two nights we concluded it doesnt compare in finesse to its rivals. It has the scale and superficial grandeur of a fine luxury hotel, but cannot match the sense of history that permeates the Vier Jahreszeiten or the delicate, contemporary air that defines the Jacob.

Our standard double was adequate but small for a grand hotel. Service was fine, but unremarkable; the fitness center was modest, and the swanky night lounge failed to excite.

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Moderately-priced hotels in Hamburgs Zentrum can be more than a little rough around the edges. This one, however, is not only genteel but a decent value.

Located on an elevated site directly above the Landungsbrcken, west of the Altstadt, the 239-room Hafen Hamburg has gracious Art Nouveau style public rooms and many guestrooms with fine views of the port and river.

Walk through the park to catch the elevated S-Bahn for the 10-minute ride downtown.

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