The group is one of Europe’s largest privately owned hotel collections, begun in 1984 by Thomas H. Althoff and his wife, Elke Diefenbach-Althoff.
NEW YORK – Germany’s Althoff Hotels has appointed Geoffrey Weill Associates to handle its public relations and communications in North America. “We are honored to have been chosen to represent this extraordinary mélange of prestigious hotels, many of which embody more than a century of eclectic history and distinguished hospitality,” says Geoffrey Weill.
Based in Cologne, Althoff Hotels’ Althoff Collection, Ameron Collection and Urban Loft brands encompass some 20 luxurious European hotels. Pronounced ‘Alt-Hoff,’ the group’s Managing Partner is Frank Marrenbach who, for close to two decades, steered the prestigious Oetker Collection.
The Althoff brands combine a dedication to gracious service, generous hospitality, fine dining, art, culture and design. Weill will be concentrating much of its efforts on key members of the group including the following:
- The St.James’s Hotel & Club is located off St.James’s Street in the heart of London’s Mayfair. The 60-room-and-suite hotel was born in 1857 as a private club and has hosted the famed from Winston Churchill and Evelyn Waugh to Sean Connery and Liza Minnelli. It boasts a magnificent art collection, and a glamorous restaurant and bar.
- The Althoff Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg overlooks the city of Cologne. A member of Leading Hotels of the World, it began its life in 1710 as a royal hunting lodge, a “lodge” so vast that it today offers 120 rooms and suites, immense grounds, the ‘4 Elements’ spa, an outdoor trattoria and the two-Michelin-starred Vendome Restaurant.
- The Ameron Zürich Bellerive au Lac opened in 1928 as one of the city’s grand hotels. It is a classic example of the finest Swiss hospitality updated for a modern urban lifestyle. In the heart of the city, it sits on the shore of Lake Zürich. Its 61 spacious rooms and suites are designed with contemporary flair, and its Studio Bellerive brasserie, grill and bar is one of Zurich’s hippest meeting spots.
- The Ameron Neuschwanstein Alpsee Resort and Spa was created in 2019 by connecting three historic mansions with contemporary structures to create a 136-room boutique-style hotel. It is magnificently sited lakeside, adjacent to “Mad King Ludwig’s” iconic Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles.
- The Althoff Villa Belrose in the French Riviera’s chic St. Tropez is a 40-room resort. Its heart is a century-old Italian Renaissance-style villa; the resort cascades down the Gassin Hills. In addition to its pool and spa, the hotel grounds also feature luxury villas for rental. The hotel’s Club d’Indochine offers an impressive variety of European and Southeast Asian cuisines.
- The 176-room-and-suite Athoff Seehotel Überfahrt sits on the shores of Bavaria’s picture-perfect Lake Tegernsee, 45 minutes south of Munich. A member of Leading Hotels of the World, the Seehotel Überfahrt offers five restaurants with a variety of sophisticated cuisines. The hotel combines a range of luxurious amenities with some of the most gorgeous views in Europe.
In the coming 24 months, two of Germany’s most historic “grand hotels” will reopen under the Althoff Collection banner after head-to-toe reconstruction and renovation. Cologne’s Dom Hotel has been the city’s address of reknown since it opened in 1857 next to the city’s iconic cathedral. In Frankfurt, Villa Kennedy began its life in 1901 as a private mansion and expanded into a deluxe hotel. When it reopens in 2024, it will be branded as the Althoff Hotel Frankfurt.
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