The five star hotel in the Markgräfler region of the southern Black Forest is a XIXth century architectural monument in the triangle of Germany, France and Switzerland
The property is located on the hill above the Castle Square and is surrounded by 25,000 sq m of private park and forests overlooking the Vosges mountains, the Rhlne valley, and the old spa town of Badenweiler. Basel, Freiburg and Mulhouse are 20 minutes drive away.
The Hotel Römerbad first opened its doors in 1825. It was owned by four generations of Johann Jacob Joner's family, who emigrated to Badenweiler from Switzerland. Throughout the years, the building was reconstructed several times according to a design by the eminent Swiss architect Horace Edouard Davinet, and it developed into an impressive four wing building with a roofed inner patio, concert chamber, mansard roofs, towers, balconies and an ornamental facade.
Due to the hotel's exceptional character and inspiring atmosphere, many cultural events, exhibitions and festivals of classical and modem art and music found their home there. "Music Days in Römerbad" started by Klaus Lauer in 1973 have become an annual event until today, as well as "Literature Forums in Römerbad".
Von der Heyden Group purchased the Hotel Römerbad from Mr Kari-Heinz Berkner, who had owned the hotel since 2005. He once came to Badenweiler to heal his broken hand with thermal waters and together with Mrs Brigitte Leitner saved the hotel from insolvency, after the building went into serious financial problems following the death of the Joner family. Between 2005-2009 thorough renovation works were conducted at a cost of EUR 4m. The hotel was improved from "First Class Superior" to "Luxury Class".
After the transaction, Sven von der Heyden, Chairman of Von der Heyden Group said: "As with any transaction, we thoroughly checked the past and the potential future of thls stunning hotel property. The due diligence took longer than normal and also financing was not an easy task, as one can imagine. But we delivered, thanks to our excellent performance in Germany both on residential and hotel financing, and that is what counts."
"The hotel enjoys very healthy occupancy rates, has an excellent cuisine and huge potential for guests, who wish to relax, heal their bodies or souls or who wish to celebrate small conferences. As owners of the property we now have to dedicate an enormous amount of time and passion and I am delighted, that IBB Hotels now operates its third hotel in my home country Germany".
Mr von der Heyden went on to say: "What is most important now is to find the right balance between treating the existing guests as ever, who enjoy the lovely service of the Hotel, and to promote the hotel in new markets which have not yet been discovered".
Among the many celebrated guests of the hotel in the past were the Indian statesman Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Russian writer Anton Chekov, who died there in 1904.
The Von der Heyden Group of companies was founded in 1989 and consists of independent SPVs (special purpose vehicles) for real estate projects in conjunction with financial institutions combining classic non-recourse financing, The companies have a completed investment programme of more than EUR 275m, and in 2009 have investments under development and/or acquisition of approximately EUR 125m.
