2007 G8 Summit Magazine - (Page 35) A LITTLE HISTORY The origins of the Heiligendamm sea spa date back to 1793. It was then that the hitherto unknown English fashion of bathing in the sea was “imported” to Germany. Duke Friedrich Franz I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was advised by his personal physician to bath in the Baltic Sea for the sake of his health. In doing so he started a trend unbroken to this day. Heiligendamm was Germany’s first sea spa and it became one of the best addresses for the high society in Europe. It was considered chic to stay in the mondaine spa with its Classical buildings. Many famous people such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Marcel Proust, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Field Marshal Blücher, Queen Luise of Prussia, Wilhelm von Humboldt and Tsar Nicholas I spent their summer holidays here. In the 1950s, the former private residences, the Kurhaus and the Grand Hotel, were turned into a “Workers’ Sanatorium”. In 1996 the investor group FUNDUS acquired the Heiligendamm site with its extensive development concept. The management contract with Kempinski Hotels & Resorts was signed in 1998. In 2000, the go-ahead was given for construction and renovation work which was coordinated in close cooperation with the German Heritage Council. are complemented by chairs in striped designs. Red cushions provide the contrast. Blue silk draperies frame the gothic-style pointed windows. In the bedroom stands an impressively elegant four-poster bed. Guests in the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm will have the choice between two types of bed: high-tech bedstead with posture-support base and special mattress or super-comfort bed with particularly high, interior sprung mattress. Although the design has a classical European flair, on the Baltic coast Kempinski sets accents with souvenirs from all over the world. “Depending on where appropriate, in individual rooms you will find antiques from the Far East,” divulges Claudia Buschmann from amj Design, the Berlin furnishing team headed by Anna-Maria Jagdfeld. “The works of art and decorative items in the rooms and suites are often from Asia; for example artistically hand-coloured prints or valuable porcelain”, the designer adds. Modern luxury in the bathrooms too. The cool elegance of marble gives an atmosphere of timeless beauty. Practical washstands with plenty of space to meet the high demands of a discriminating clientele. The show bathroom in the Severin Palais is in a reserved beige-brown, whereas that in the Hohenzollern Castle sets sharp contrasts with granite and Carrara in black and white. Mahogany panelling ADVERTISEMENT adds a warm note to the room. Most of the rooms will have a separate WC as well as a shower and bath. Where the ground plan permits, Kempinski will be installing bathrooms that can be accessed from two sides with one door leading to the room entrance, the second to the room itself. For those who don’t wish to spend in all their time in their hotel room, in addition to the beach on its doorstep, the resort offers a generous wellness area of about 3,000 square metres, a golf course and a variety of other sports and leisure-time facilities as well as its own riding stables, fullyequipped top event facilities and firstclass cuisine. G8 -35- |
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