Review: ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg has the "Most Stylish Toilet 2013"

ARCOTEL Hotels was delighted to be presented with a somewhat different type of award in March 2013: The toilets in the ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg, which was newly opened in 2012, were voted by Tempo as the "Most Stylish Toilet 2013".

The address of the hotel, Reeperbahn 1A, suggests the need for a very unique type of toilet. The owner of the ARCOTEL Group, Dr. Renate Wimmer, also recognised this and set up a "public toilet workgroup" for this purpose. "We all delved into our imaginations at the first meeting – someone even suggested a 'dog toilet'", says Dr. Renate Wimmer. It was important, however, that the toilets weren’t too strange. This gave Dr. Renate Wimmer the idea of using mosaic art to create a magnificent male figure in the ladies’ toilets and a seductive female figure in the men’s toilets. The stylish works of art were created from individual stones and hand-fitted. An additional highlight for the ladies’ toilets: visitors have a choice of cubicle size - S, M, L and XL.

ARCOTEL owner Dr. Renate Wimmer, along with the entire team at ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg, is pleased to be presented with this very unique award. "Our thanks go to Tempo for organising this excellent and ‘somewhat different’ competition. Most importantly, thank you to our guests! We are delighted that visitors to the ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg enjoy even the toilet facilities", says Dr. Renate Wimmer.

Anyone wanting to visit this special toilet should arrange a visit to Hamburg straight away!

ARCOTEL Onyx

20359 Hamburg | Reeperbahn 1 A

T +49 40 209 409-0 | F +49 40 209 409-2550

E onyx@arcotelhotels.com | www.arcotelhotels.com/onyx

Simply a hit

Once again this year crazy outfits, brightly coloured hair and colourful glasses captured Hamburg's inner city – and the ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg was right in the middle of it all. Every summer since 1997 the Schlagermove Festival has made its way through the famous St. Pauli district. This year's "colourful festival of love" took place on June 28th, 2014. The world's largest Schlager (hit music from the 1970s and 1980s) party delights Schlager fans from all over Germany, and recorded approx. 500,000 visitors this year despite the rainy weather.

The heart of the festival was a procession of 45 colourfully decorated floats, which made their way from Heiligengeistfeld to the Landungsbrücken and the Millerntorplatz, then back to Heiligengeistfeld. The ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg, with its location at the start of the Reeperbahn, is directly in the middle of the action, and at the same time was a small rest area for stranded Schlager fans, to who we were happy to open our doors as a meeting point or as an oasis for refuelling. In the middle of the action, not just a spectator – the party atmosphere infected the whole building; guests and employees celebrated the festival together. 

Following the Schlagermove there was, as always, a large Aftermove party on the Heiligengeistfeld, in a party space of over 6,000 square meters and with five party tents. A colourful DJ program and live performances from Heino and others ensured a great atmosphere until deep into the night.

We are already looking forward to the Schlagermove in 2015!

ARCOTEL Onyx

20359 Hamburg | Reeperbahn 1 A

T +49 40 209 409-0 | F +49 40 209 409-2550

E onyx@arcotelhotels.com | www.arcotelhotels.com/onyx

Events at the ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart in February

VALENTINE’S DAY

14 FEBRUARY 2014 from 6.00 p.m.
Valentine’s Day is time for romance! So surprise the one you love with an invitation to our Restaurant WEISSENHOF for a romantic dinner for two. 

MAGIC MOMENTS

• with our 4-course Valentine’s Day meal
• 1 bottle of house wine (white or red 0.75 l)
• 1 bottle of mineral water (0.75 l)

VALENTINE’S DAY MENU

For two

Beef fillet Carpaccio with celery salad
***
Clear beef soup with small pistachio dumplings
***
Corn-fed chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes
on pomegranate and mango sauce with herb gnocchi and ratatouille
***
Almond wafer with raspberry and vanilla ice-cream

EUR 79.00 per person

STAY THE NIGHT
If you don’t feel like driving home after your meal why not stay the night?
For an additional EUR 99.00 you can book a double room, including breakfast.
(bookings subject to availability)


ART & CULTURE
20 FEBRUARY 2014 from 5.30 p.m.
In keeping with its motto "New Encounters", the ARCOTEL Camino has been a meeting place for artists, designers and leading figures from sports, business, politics and society ever since it opened in 2008

For our first arts and cultural event in the new year we are bringing Italy to the hotel. Come and share a unique opportunity to enjoy Italian art, music and cuisine accompanied by delicious Italian wine.

Together with our artist Susanne Pohlmann we have prepared something very unusual for you this time. Experience with us a passion for painting and an expressive depiction of food, flowers or animals.

SUSANNE POHLMANN
Susanne Pohlmann, nee Endriss was born on 7 July 1947 in Stuttgart Plochingen where she also grew up. She is married and has two children. Drawing and painting were always her hobbies and in 1998 she began painting professionally with acrylic paints. Her main subjects are still lifes, portraits and animals. Susanne Pohlmann has already exhibited in a number of hotels and restaurants in Germany and abroad.

CULINARY ART
Once again our repertoire includes products from two very special wine estates for you. As always, there will be a local wine-grower from Württemberg and for the first time an Italian winegrower. You can look forward to a delicious buffet with Swabian delicacies and Italian specialities prepared and served by our team at the Restaurant WEISSENHOF. From antipasti to pasta and panna cotta, enjoy the dolce vita!

ENTERTAINMENT
It goes without saying that during the evening we will whisk you away on a musical journey to Italy with singer Paula Puggioni, who is already a star in Sicily. She will perform well-known songs, so there’ll be something to suit every taste.

ADMISSION
Price per person: EUR 16.00
To sample the wines you will receive a high-quality ARCOTEL Camino wine glass. This will also serve as your admission ticket and you are welcome to take it home with you at the end of the evening. The ARCOTEL buffet is also included in the price. Make sure you book early, as there are only a limited number of places.

FUTURE DATES
Make a note in your diary of the next events in our successful “Art and Culture” series.

15 MAY 2014
21 AUGUST 2014
20 NOVEMBER 2014

WHISKY TASTING

6 FEBRUARY 2014 starting 7.00 p.m.
As our whisky tastings have recently focused on the different regions of Scotland, it is now time to stop off at the last Scottish region, Speyside.

SPEYSIDE
Speyside is the region that runs along the river Spey and is the appellation for whiskies produced by the roughly 50 distillers in the region to distinguish them from others produced elsewhere in Scotland. Speyside is main whisky region in Scotland not just because it has the largest number of distilleries and also the most productive; it is also home to malt houses, cooperages, blenders and (independent) bottlers. Many of the Speyside distilleries are just a few kilometres apart from one another; some are even just around the corner from each other, as is the case in towns like Dufftown (sometimes called the secret capital of whisky), Elgin or Rothes. Well-known Speyside distilleries include Aberlour, Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant and Macallan. The Malt Whisky Trail – a tourist route that links eight of the more well-known distilleries and one cooperage - is also on Speyside.

PROGRAMME
Our barkeeper and self-professed whisky lover Marcel Klopp will guide you through this whisky tasting accompanied by suitable culinary creations. An ideal opportunity to enjoy the selected specialities and talk shop with the presenter.

THE SPECIALITIES OF THE EVENING
Matching culinary creations put together by our kitchen brigade under executive chef Michael Steeb.

From the range of high-quality whiskies from Speyside:

• Balvenie 
• Glenfarclas
• Car´dhu
• Aberlour
• MaCallan
• Glenrothes

ADMISSION
Price per person: EUR 45.00
Including finger food. As the number of places is limited, we ask you to book early.

ADDITIONAL DATES
Why not make a note of the dates for the other tastings:

27 MARCH 2014
9 OCTOBER 2014
13 NOVEMBER 2014

REGISTRATION | RESERVATION
Due to the limited number of places, we kindly ask you to make a reservation for all events by telephone or e-mail
T +49 711 258 58-2820
E events.camino@arcotelhotels.com


We look forward to seeing you!

Stuttgart - more than just a city of cars

Schillerplatz, Picture: Stuttgart Marketing

Over the centuries the city of Stuttgart has grown into a modern metropolis, where despite the destruction suffered during World War II, architecturally valuable buildings still bear testimony to the past. These architectural gems include Schillerplatz with the Old Castle as a Renaissance ensemble, the Baroque New Palace, which was the residence of the dukes and later kings of Württemberg, and the Classical colonnaded Königsbau. Stuttgart’s museums provide information about all periods of history from prehistoric times to the present day and cover world history, international history and, of course, local history.

Schlossplatz, Picture: Stuttgart Marketing

The City Archive can justifiably be called the heart of the city, as it houses all the City Council’s documents and these are available to the public for information purposes or research. In addition, it also has an extensive collection of non-official documents and other items which are an enduring testimony to the city’s history. To bring this history to life more vividly, a City of Stuttgart Museum is to be opened in 2016 in the Wilhelm’s Palace on Charlottenplatz, in the building that used to house the Municipal Library – an appropriate and central location for a museum.

The Children’s Museum in the “Young Castle” and the House of History prove that Stuttgart’s history has plenty to interest to local residents, tourists and children alike. These museums have come up with a very special concept that enables educators to introduce children to local history topics in a playful way. This also includes letting visitors touch things and this, of course, delights adults who have remained young at heart as much as it does the children. In addition, the museums also offer special children’s tours, workshops, activities and holiday programmes where everyone can join in. As well as the large museums, there are a host of small museums dedicated to specialist themes.

Mercedes Benz Museum, Picture: Stuttgart Marketing

Thanks to the Porsche and the Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart is an absolute “must” for car lovers. You can indulge your passion for automobiles and tradition with a three-day stay at the ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart, with a package that includes two nights in a double room with a buffet breakfast, free admission to the two museums and a 3-day pass for public transport. Further information about this special offer is available at www.arcotelhotels.com/camino

Autumn - Time for the largest berry of the world

This month is culinarily devoted to "the largest berry of the world" - the pumpkin.
Cucurbits are originally from America , but are now cultivated in all the warmer regions . Our ancestors have eaten the edible squash many thousands of years before Christ in many different variations already . What makes the usually orange -colored berries so delicious and healthy, is the fact that the pumpkin is low on calories ( 25 calories per 100 grams), is rich in vitamins, aromatic and wonderfully versatile in the kitchen.

Our recipe of the month is hence simple, but delicious:

Pumpkin Apple Cream Soup .
Follow this link in order to receive the recipe : http://bit.ly/monatsrezept

Who is up for a nightcap in the crystal bar: this month awaits our guests another two great  creations of the Martini family:

AGAVE CHOCOLATE MARTINI & BASIL MARTINI

Not just a looker during production, also a great taste experience , or have you ever tasted a cocktail with basil?

"Heaven can wait chor" at the St. Pauli Theater

Inspired by the American film "Young @ Heart", and the British band "The
Zimmer", whose oldish members not only inspire the Americans and British, the generation is also in this regional choir project of the St. Pauli Theater 70 + on stage and they want to rock. "This choir performs only hits from the past few decades, such as "Stayin 'Alive" by the Bee Gees, "die perfekte Welle" by Juli, "Gekommen um zu bleiben" by Wir sind Helden, "Smells Like Spirit" by Nirvana. They are nightly accompanied by a live band.

The musical manager Jan Christof itself is an all-rounder and knows the Hamburg music scene like no other.

Credits: Frank Siemers

KUNST & KULTUR (ART & CULTURE)

v.l.n.r. Weingut Collegium Wirtemberg, Sylvia Ernst,
Weingut Tschida Österreich,
Peter Leidig vom ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The “Kunst & Kultur” evening provided the third opportunity this year to celebrate a rich mix of art, wine, music and culinary delicacies. The winegrowers of the quarter were the Tschida vineyard from Apetlon in Austria and the Collegium Wirtemberg vineyard, while Rainer Hoffelner was the artist of the evening.

The author of the baby dictionary published by Langenscheidt, who has also featured in the Brockhaus multimedia edition with an entry as an outstanding artist and illustrator since 2001, brought a real sense of vitality to art during the evening. Together with guests, he created impressive pictures, which can be purchased from the BAR SCALA in the hotel.

The little ink drawings of figures, affectionately known as “little people”, are Hoffelner’s creations. They show ethereal, slender and dark figures floating against a luminous backdrop, as if they wished to leave all earthly matters behind them and vanish into the heavens. They show weird creatures creeping through the darkness, while comet-like forms try in vain to illuminate the area around them and which nevertheless succeed in lighting the shapeless creatures and putting them centre stage.

Rainer Hoffelner

Please note:
the next Kunst & Kultur evening will take place on
Thursday, 21 November 2013

Weingut Collegium Wirtemberg

Weingut Tschida aus Österreich

Die Kunst von Rainer Hoffelner

Sylvia Ernst

As is usual at all Kunst & Kultur evenings, there will be a winegrower from both Baden-Württemberg and Austria. A buffet featuring seasonal delicacies from the Restaurant WEISSENHOF will complete the artistic and cultural experience from a culinary perspective. The musical background will be provided by live music chosen to reflect the theme of the respective evening.

As your admission ticket and to taste the wines, you will be given a top-quality ARCOTEL Camino wine glass, which you are welcome to take home with you at the end of the evening. The price also includes a lavish ARCOTEL buffet featuring Swabian and Austrian delicacies. Please register in good time, since there is only a limited number of tickets available.
Price per person: EUR 14.00
Sonja Maier
T +49 711 25858-2828
F +49 711 25858-2800
E sonja.maier@arcotelhotels.com 

ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart

Simply FUN – ARCOTEL Camino offers a discount for the Cannstatter Wasen

Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart (c) Stuttgart Marketing

Cannstatter Wasen special

The Cannstatter Wasen, one of the world’s greatest funfairs, will take place again in Stuttgart from 27 September to 13 October 2013. Make sure you’re there to enjoy the candy floss and fried chicken. You will get more than your money’s worth here, whether directly in one of the many marquees or in the alpine hut village, or on the ghost train or the Wild Mouse ride. There’s something for everybody and every age. And if you’re feeling rather tired in the evening, we can provide you with suitable accommodation.

If you book a room at the ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart during the Wasen period using the promotional code “WASEN2013” on our website, you will receive a fantastic 25% reduction on our promo rate. 

Ideally you should book immediately and make sure that you don’t miss the best time of the year in Stuttgart. We look forward to seeing you. 

Information and reservation

ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart

Heilbronner Straße 21

70191 Stuttgart

T +49 711 258 58-0

E camino@arcotelhotels.com

As from today’s date, the offer can be booked simply and easily via our website.

The ARCOTEL Rubin Team on the HSH Nordbank Run

The simple basic idea behind the HSH Nordbank Run, northern Germany’s biggest charity run, is to get people out running with their colleagues, bosses and friends with none of the stress of a competition and with the satisfaction of knowing it’s all in a good cause. The team at the ARCOTEL Rubin Hamburg also liked the sound of this fantastic idea and last weekend put on their running shoes to help a good cause.

In glorious summer weather, thousands gathered in the HafenCity for the same reason as the team from the ARCOTEL Rubin Hamburg, namely to run four kilometres through this youngest and rapidly-growing district of Hamburg in aid of the children’s charity "Kinder helfen Kindern". All in all: 789 teams with 21,162 participants took part – a phenomenal success!

Rainer Müller – General Manager of the ARCOTEL Rubin Hamburg:
"The HSH Nordbank Run is northern Germany’s biggest charity run and thanks to steadily growing enthusiasm, has become a tradition in its own right. It was a great honour for us to take part in this exemplary project with other like-minded people. One of the most fantastic things was that we all had so much fun while at the same time doing something for our health and raising money for charity. "

The four kilometre race was more exciting than ever this year: After the horn of the Queen Mary 2 had given the starting signal, the teams ran through the Sandtor Park towards the Überseequartier in glorious sunshine and a light breeze. The commercial heart of the HafenCity was followed by perhaps the most beautiful section of the route, with runners moving along the waterfront of the Brooktorhafen before circling the Ericusspitze. The next section of the route went to the Sandtorkai and offered a wonderful view of the Speicherstadt, before continuing to the landing stages of the venerable harbour. Runners then continued over the spacious Magellan terraces in the direction of the Kaiserkai Promenade with its magnificent view of Hamburg’s future landmark, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Now it was just a few more metres to the Marco Polo terraces and the finishing line of what is probably the most beautiful course in Germany.

The "Eierschwammerl" is back again!

 

 What the experts designate as "Cantharellus cibarius"  and our neighbours in Austria call "Eierschwammerl", here in Germany is called quite simply "Pfifferling" – after the field mushroom, everybody's favourite edible fungus. 

This year the season for fresh chanterelles has begun relatively early – hard to believe, but this can be explained by the rainy weather over the last few weeks. This is because fungi are subject to spurts of growth depending on rainfall patterns; lack of moisture on the other hand slows down or stops growth altogether.

The chanterelle stands out particularly because of its unique shape to which, by the way, they owe their name because "chanterelle" means something like "small cup". From the gourmet's point of view this species of mushroom is distinguished particularly by its rather peppery, strong smell and mildly spicy flavour. The whitish flesh in its raw state is rather sour, but after cooking is very delicate, and all in all, also very healthy: it is full of protein, potassium and vitamin D.

The chanterelle can be found on the one hand in deciduous and coniferous forests, but on the  other, also on the exclusive Seasonal Menu in our restaurant FOREIGN AFFAIRS in the Arcotel John F Berlin. Our F&B Manager, Thomas Kreft, is delighted about the novelty on the menu: "From the entrée right up to the main course, we are geared up to make the most of chanterelles." As the perfect companion to pasta, meat and fish, the mushrooms can be combined well in practically any dish, and so our guests can enjoy such delicious creations as:

"Pappardelle with creamed chanterelles, glazed spring onions,
tomatoes on the vine and fine slices of Grana Padano"

Until September, you can enjoy these and many other chanterelle dishes in our restaurant FOREIGN AFFAIRS; then the little golden mushrooms will be replaced on our Season Menu. We will be pleased to accept reservations by telephone on +49 30 40 50 46-1800 or by e-mail at

restaurant.johnf@arcotelhotels.com.

CAMINO STORM AHEAD.... AND THEY SCORE!

1^st place in the football Hotel Cup 2012 in Stuttgart

Sunday 18th March, 4pm. Not a particularly sunny day, in fact quite cool weather with a hint of drizzle in the air … luckily that didn’t matter because the football Hotel Cup 2012 in Stuttgart was to be held indoors and what an atmosphere there was inside the "Soccer Olymp" in Fellbach! When Assistant General Manager Peter Leidig first suggested the idea of a "Hotelcup" a few weeks ago to colleagues at the ARCOTEL Camino, everyone immediately got really excited and it wasn’t long before a team was selected. As everybody knows, football is more than just a sport – it’s all about passion for the game and that passion was evident across all departments. The team was made up of a real mix of colleagues, with representatives from housekeeping, reception, the kitchen, serving staff and management, but all had one thing in common – the drive and the team spirit necessary to ‘get the ball rolling’ and ultimately go on and win the trophy for the ARCOTEL Camino. And without any yellow or red cards either! There was a lot of hard training to be done in the days leading up to the final, however. After all, preparing for the Hotel Match of the Year is a very serious matter!

So the big day arrived and the teams put forward by all the individual Stuttgart hotels came face to face. Sporting striking red ARCOTEL Hotels jerseys, our team not only looked the part but they also impressed everybody with their outstanding performance on the field. After beating the "NH Hotel" 1-0 in their opening match, they faced the "Mercure Hotel Stuttgart City Center". After going two goals down, they were able to turn the game around to win 3-2. Our team suffered just one defeat in the qualifying rounds, losing 2-3 to the “Maritim Hotel". Then, in the last match of the qualifiers against the "Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Airport", our lads pulled off a very convincing 6-0 victory. In the semi-final against the "Dormero Hotel Stuttgart" our players clearly dominated the proceedings, going on to win a decisive 4-1 victory, taking them through to the Final. "What really set us apart from the other eight teams taking part was our ability to work well as a team, our sheer determination and the fact that we were enjoying ourselves. In the Final we managed to trounce our opponents the "Maritim Hotel", with a very convincing 5-1 win – sweet revenge for our defeat at their hands in the qualifiers!", says Assistant General Manager Peter Leidig proudly.

We would like to offer warm congratulations to our colleagues for their incredible and thoroughly well-deserved win in the 2012 Hotel Cup in Stuttgart and our fingers are now crossed that the team will do well in the all-Germany Final in Cologne! Hotel Cup ‘Man of the Match’ was awarded to our very own footballing legend, striker Bilal Ghazi, who not only scored an amazing 11 goals, but also demonstrated that a receptionist can be ‘on the ball’ on the field as well as at his desk.

The Hotel Cup has been the competition of the hotel sector since 2009 and every year more and more people take part. Even after this year’s very first tournament, held in Hamburg, more teams have registered to take part than last year. There are Hotel Cup tournaments in several German cities and the two winning teams from each city go through to represent their area in the all-Germany final.

You can see the final match on youtube: