The 427-room Radisson Collection Hotel Berlin reopened on Feb. 12 following a two-year renovation.
This is very good news. Typically, the hotel hosts an official evening reception during the International Hotel Investment Forum. I am sure it might in the future, its hoteliers no doubt wanting to show off its atrium — a glorious, towering space of light and airiness.
The hotel has gone through its second renovation in recent years. The work first began with its transformation from a Radisson Blu hotel to a Radisson Collection hotel.
Then the Berlin property had to go through another transformation when, on a cold night in December 2022, its famed AquaDom burst, reputedly spilling 260,000 gallons and thousands of fish inside and outside the hotel. The saving grace was that this happened in the early hours of a Friday morning and, to my knowledge, no one was hurt.
I wrote last March that its hoteliers were confident the hotel would reopen by the end of 2024, and they kept almost exactly to that timeline.
The hotel has returned with a new centerpiece, albeit one with no aquarium.
The Living Tree installation towers to almost the same height as the AquaDom once did, some 24 meters (79 feet) in height from the lobby’s floor to its ceiling, and it is almost as wide.
It is a living thing, comprising, according to a news release, of almost 2,000 plants, and during the day and evening different lighting illuminates the whole structure.
“Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the greenery enhances air quality, absorbs noise and contributes to a serene environment. A state-of-the-art irrigation system ensures optimal conditions, while dynamic lighting adapts to different times of the day and special occasions, transforming the ambiance of the lobby,” according to a news release.
Nowhere in the release did it mention the AquaDom, so I suppose the idea is to concentrate on the glorious future, not one unfortunate instance in its equally glorious past. I reached out to the Radisson Collection Hotel Berlin's hoteliers and owners, but no one wanted to comment on the matter beyond the news release.
The hotel now features a bar called the DomLounge, which might have more to do with the dome of light above the Living Tree than it does the former aquarium.
I look forward to seeing it again, certainly as the one time I have stayed at the hotel it was also going through that first renovation.
The also famed Chiltern Firehouse in London, part of the portfolio of hotelier André Balazs, was partially destroyed last week in a fire, and, again, thankfully no one was injured.
The 26-room hotel, which celebrated its 10th birthday in 2024, was created out of an old firehouse. It was set to host a British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) party two days later, on Feb. 16, but that was cancelled, and the hotel is currently closed.
It is testament to good hotelkeeping that more incidences like this do not happen. Hotels are large places full of many people, and any number of reasons untoward problems can occur.
Let’s hope that the Chiltern Firehouse gets back on its feet sooner rather than later.
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