The stylish HOPPER Hotel St. Josef in Cologne is rich in history
Modern design and a historical ambiance. The beautifully converted private hotel HOPPER Hotel St. Josef is a unique and impressive combination of art and architecture. Now, the elegant hotel in Dreikönigenstraße in Cologne's Südstadt district has become part of the portfolio of the European LFPI hotel group. The Hopper completes the "triple" after the acquisition of hotels in Dresden and Dortmund over the past four weeks. In-depth legal advice on the purchasing process came from a team led by counsel Johannes Bescher from the international law firm CMS Deutschland.
"We were fascinated by the storied history of the building and its unusual transformation into a design-focused hotel", explains Philipp Bessler, director of LFPI Hotels Deutschland. "We are looking forward to working with hotel manager Sven Lindner and his hard-working team to write a new chapter for this jewel in the crown of Cologne's hotel scene." When the building was constructed back in 1891, no one could have imagined its current use.
In the course of time
Built on the initiative of the Frauenverein von St. Severin Womens’ Association by Franz Erben, the neo-Gothic St. Josef-Haus was originally used as a space to care for up to 400 children. Land purchased from the Oppenheim banking family and the city was later used to expand. In 1904, a foundation was set up to run the building, approved by Emperor Wilhelm II in person. The foundation acquired the neighbouring property at Dreikönigenstraße 3 and annexed it to the main building in 1906. In the years that followed, the St. Josef-Haus repeatedly provided emergency help in times of crisis. For example, during the hyperinflation of 1923 to 1924, up to 500 people were served a "tasty, nutritious" meal every day. A similar response is recorded in 1932, when unemployment was over 5.5 million. The building survived the war but was badly damaged, but by June 1945, it had reopened as a nursery and childcare centre with the permission of the British military authorities. A new nursery was built on the north side of the courtyard in the early 1970s. The children moved and the original building was left empty in 2006, and the trustees ultimately decided to sell. The foundation's representatives saw a hotel as an opportunity to maintain the dignity of the place.
Reopening as hotel
The elegant HOPPER Hotel St. Josef opened its doors in 2008 following extensive renovation work and a hotel conversion that respected the building's protected status. "I was particularly impressed by the former chapel, which is now the breakfast room", says LFPI operations manager Reinier Franssen. Guests can set themselves up for the day ahead in the amazing surroundings of a neo-Gothic vaulted ceiling and stained glass chapel windows. Another impressive feature of the "Josefshaus" is its three-dimensional artwork: drawing inspiration from the hotel's Biblical namesake, young artists from the Münster University of Fine Arts created an original sculpture for each room. The sculptures, displayed in glass cases, combined with the subtle décor give the rooms a wonderfully individual and timelessly elegant touch.
Caption
From left to right: Stephanie Ley (management & development assistant), Philipp Bessler (director), Jörn-Carsten Zobel (previous owner), Reinier Franssen (operations manager) and Sven Lindner (hotel manager) welcome the addition of the HOPPER Hotel St. Josef to the LFPI Hotels Management Deutschland GmbH portfolio. Image: LFPI Hotels Management Deutschland. Photo: LFPI Hotels Management Deutschland
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About HOPPER Hotel St. Josef
In the heart of Cologne's Südstadt not far from the Rheinauhafen district, the modern HOPPER Hotel St. Josef in a former chapel is the perfect place for a break from the daily grind. The listed building dating from 1891 has a fascinating layout and elegant rooms and suites that feature original sculptures by young artists from Münster University of Fine Arts. Guests can enjoy their lavish breakfast buffet in the former chapel and on the terrace outside. The historical cellar space houses a spa area with a Finnish hemlock sauna and top-of-the-range gym equipment. The hotel's own bar is open all day, serving a fresh selection of drinks and snacks.
Find out more at www.hopper.de
The Paris-based LFPI Group (La Financière Patrimoniale d’Investissement) is a European private equity group that currently manages assets of more than twelve billion euros. LFPI invests primarily for institutional investors in private equity, property, funds of funds and mezzanine funds. The German subsidiary focuses mainly on going concerns; two to four-star city hotels in town centres with 50 to 150 rooms. LFPI Hotels Management Deutschland is based in Cologne and currently operates 18 hotels in Aachen, Augsburg, Berlin (2), Bielefeld, Bremen, Dortmund, Dresden, Erfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Düsseldorf (2), Karlsruhe, Lübeck, Mainz, Speyer and Stuttgart and is aiming to increase its portfolio to 20 to 30 hotels in central Europe over the next three to five years. LFPI manages both hotels for external investors and businesses owned by the Group.