To spot the old site of Hotel Excelsior, look for the wide, imposing building that once sprawled across Askanischer Platz with its elegant, rounded facade and grand entrance where ornate lettering proudly announced “Hotel Excelsior” above the doorway-a classic four-story structure that would have dominated this stretch of the street.
Now, let’s go back in time! Imagine the year is 1908, and you’re standing on the busy corner of Königgrätzer Straße-now known as Stresemannstrasse-just a stone’s throw from the bustling Anhalter Bahnhof. All around you, there’s the sound of carriages, the clatter of luggage wheels, the shouts of porters, and the bright optimism of a city on the rise. In front of you, glistening in the afternoon sun, stands the brand new Hotel Excelsior. Its large windows sparkle, and its inviting arched entrance glows with the promise of luxury. At first, it offered just 200 rooms, but with Berlin growing at breakneck speed, more and more visitors needed a place to rest their heads-and maybe enjoy a slice of cake in style.
Just five years after opening, the hotel nearly doubled in size, gobbling up space on Anhalter Strasse. If you’d walked through its doors, you’d have heard multiple languages spoken in the lobby, the clink of fine china, and maybe the nervous laughter of newcomers arriving in the big city for the first time. But within a few years, the mood changed. The world spun into war, and the proud hotel stood almost empty-its polished floors echoing with silence. War rattled even the grandest addresses.
And yet, the Excelsior’s story was just beginning. After World War I, a business dynamo named Curt Elschner swooped in, bringing the energy of a hundred espresso shots. In the “Golden Twenties,” the Excelsior wasn’t just refurbished-it was reinvented. Think jazz, neon lights, roaring engines, and a city determined to forget the hard times. Elschner looked to the grand hotels of America for inspiration and made the Excelsior more than just a place to sleep. He electrified everything, from kitchens to bakeries, and introduced a marvel-an 1,800-square meter underground spa where tired travelers could wash away the dust of adventure. No wonder guests must have thought they’d stumbled into a paradise-imagine stretching out and relaxing under the city, safe from the chill Berlin air.
But hold on, because here comes my favorite detail-a tunnel, built in 1929, that connected the hotel straight to the Anhalter Bahnhof! An 80-meter marvel, wide enough for guests and their trunks. You could roll off your sleeper train, stroll through a warm corridor (no umbrellas needed!), and be relaxing in your room before the newspapers had caught up with you. There was even a ticket office inside the hotel; you could plan your next escape while eating a five-course meal. Speaking of meals, the Excelsior had not one, not two, but nine restaurants plus a library bursting with 200 newspapers from around the globe. For anyone missing home-or eager to learn about the rest of the world-this was the place.
By then, the hotel boasted 600 rooms, over 700 beds, 250 bathrooms, and enough marble in the halls and lobbies to sparkle day and night. Even the windows told stories, with stained glass showing philosophers, popes, and thinkers-until political storms rolled in during the 1930s. The National Socialists wanted Hitler to use the hotel as his Berlin base, but Elschner refused, protecting the Excelsior’s legacy for as long as he could. The hotel’s motto, “The Hall of Free Thought,” came under attack; the beautiful windows were packed away and the library’s books-too radical for the new regime-met a fiery end.
As the clouds of war returned, Curt Elschner was forced to flee. The hotel became a “Fehling-Bunker,” a care point for soldiers. Its glory faded, its marble halls echoing now with the urgent footsteps of war rather than the laughter of travelers. In the final days of World War II, Allied bombs fell, and by the close of April 1945, the mighty Excelsior was reduced to rubble, smoke, and memories.
Today, an apartment and shop complex stands where the Excelsior once sparkled. But if you listen carefully, you might still hear the echoes of lively conversations and the chime of glasses raised in one of its nine restaurants. Oh, and here’s a neat twist: This grand old hotel inspired Vicki Baum’s famous novel, “Menschen im Hotel,” which became the Oscar-winning film “Grand Hotel.” That’s right-Hollywood walked these floors, if only in spirit!
So as you stand here, you’re not just on a street corner. You’re on the crossroads of old Berlin, where jazz and tragedy danced together, where trench coats brushed marble, and where, for a brief shining moment, Berlin dared to dream big, right here at the heart of it all.
Curious about the early years, excelsior expansion in the golden twenties or the excelsior in hitler's thirties? Don't hesitate to reach out in the chat section for additional details.
