New organic hotel in Oberhof: Ulbricht's guesthouse becomes an ecological holiday destination

New organic hotel in Oberhof: Ulbricht's guesthouse becomes an ecological holiday destination

Something is happening in Oberhof! Machts GmbH has big plans for the former guest house of the former GDR official Walter Ulbricht, which had been in disrepair since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Loud in southern Thuringia The company is planning to build a modern organic hotel on the site, which will cost an impressive 60 million euros.

The old guest house, better known as “Waltershausen”, was built around 60 years ago and has seen several changes of ownership since then. Mayor Thomas Schulz emphasizes that despite intensive discussions with various investors, little progress has been made so far. Now that is set to change with Machts GmbH, which took over the 10-hectare area in the spring and whose ambitious plans have been presented to the city council since 2021. For many who previously only knew the ruins as a burial site for decaying architecture, this is good news.

Environmentally friendly concept and innovative construction

The new hotel will have a total of 60 rooms, four apartments and 14 holiday homes. A wooden building with an underground car park and a restaurant is planned. These measures not only reflect modernity, but also take into account the sustainable orientation to which the company attaches particular importance. In addition, greening measures and new plantings are planned after many trees had to be felled due to bark beetle damage, reports Picture.

With a visionary approach, Ostara GmbH from Jena, the investor behind the renovation, wants to revitalize the hospitable charm of Oberhof and plans to run the hotel under the name “URLAUB BEI ULBRICHT”. The construction work is scheduled to begin in 2023 after the legal hurdles have been clarified and will take around a year and a half to complete. The organic hotel could potentially welcome guests as early as 2024.

The long road to new building

Despite the positive approaches, the progress made so far is being closely monitored. As the mayor explains, it remains to be seen whether and when the first excavators will actually arrive. The old building is gradually falling into disrepair and the skepticism of some citizens is understandable after many investment promises in the past have remained unfulfilled. According to the reports, the renovation planning is not just a question of money, but also of timing and the commitment of everyone involved.

How the situation will develop is uncertain. But both the city administration and the public are waiting eagerly to see what will become of the new organic hotel and whether a piece of history in Oberhof can be transformed into a future worth living in. The inn could not only offer a new face for the popular Thuringian holiday resort, but also contribute to the attractiveness of the entire German hotel market in the coming years, as we can learn from further developments in the hotel industry, for example in Hotelier.de.