Luther-Hotel Wittenberg
From:
Wittenberg, Germany
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LEFT: The 4-star Luther-Hotel
Wittenberg is owned by a charitable organization, the
Berliner Stadtmission. |
by Durant Imboden
 Istayed at the
Luther-Hotel Wittenberg during a recent tour of Martin
Luther's 16th Century haunts, and I enjoyed the experience. Here's a short
collection of random observations about the four-star hotel:
-
 My double room on the top floor was large and comfortable,
with plenty of daylight from the screened windows. The furniture was modern,
with lots of blond wood (which is pretty typical of German hotels in the three-
and four-star categories).
-
 The
lobby had plenty of space for sitting around on a rainy day. The reception staff
were friendly, and hotel manager Roger Voigt (who lives on the premises) shared
an interesting story: During the GDR era, when he worked as an aircraft
technician, he was invited to participate in an experiment where mechanics were
trained to fly on a flight simulator. He did so well that he was fired from his
job, because the East German authorities were afraid that he might use an
airplane to escape across the border.
-
 The ground-floor
Convivo Restaurant has an outstanding kitchen under the
direction of a young chef, Christian Hirsch, who favors local and regional
ingredients that he uses in a variety of German, international, and
Mediterranean dishes. If you're traveling with a companion, the
moderately-priced "Convivo Menu" for two is a good value: It includes a
three-course dinner with a glass of wine.
-
 The
Luther-Hotel is loyal to its namesake: A bust of Luther stands in the lobby, and
by the time you visit Wittenberg, a newly commissioned two-meter statue of the Reformer should be
greeting guests within the front entrance.
-
During my visit, the hotel featured a "Luther Burger" on the
Convivo Restaurant's lunch menu. Manager Roger Voigt explained that the burger, which was
designed for younger guests, consists of flattened Wurst meat in a bun.
He added, with a straight face: "We can't call it a hamburger. We aren't
McDonald's."
-
 The
hotel has an underground parking garage, which is a great convenience if you're
touring Luther country by car. (At the time of my visit, the daily parking fee
was 7 euros.)
-
The Luther-Hotel Wittenberg belongs to the Albrechtshof Hotels
group, which is owned by the
Berliner Stadtmission. Profits from the Luther-Hotel and its sister
properties are used to help the homeless, provide children's services, care for
the elderly, etc.
For more information about the Luther-Hotel Wittenberg, or to
book a room, visit
www.luther-hotel-wittenberg.de.
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