The house
A retreat in the hustle and bustle of the city
Spend the night at
Hotel Baseler Hof
There are many hotels in Hamburg, but none like the Baseler Hof: it is a magnificent hotel with a special history and a tradition of hospitality. It has been privately owned for almost 120 years; what also makes our family-run hotel special is its location: the Baseler Hof is located between Dammtor and the main railway station in the Esplanade, once a magnificent boulevard in the heart of Hamburg’s city center, and welcomes its guests in 168 rooms for a wide range of requirements.
Our team
For us, tradition is an obligation. As a family-run company, we uphold values such as cordiality and quality, charity and care. People are at the heart of our hotel business – regardless of whether they are guests or employees.
The history of the Basel court
From a Christian waiter’s home to a modern city hotel: Baseler Hof looks back on an eventful history. And yet there is one constant: to this day, it is a place of great hospitality and human care, in keeping with the founding fathers of the Association of Christian Hoteliers, whose motto was: “Herberget gern”.
The beginnings
In 1906, the Fölsch family of entrepreneurs donated a house at Fehlandtstrasse 26 as well as a building at Esplanade numbers 10-11. The idea was to accommodate the unemployed waiters who flocked to Hamburg in winter and to set up a "Christian Waiters' Home" foundation. After the First World War, paying guests also came to the "Baseler Hospiz". At the time, the term hospice referred to inexpensive accommodation that was run according to Christian principles and promised protection and strength.
Turbulent years
In 1920, Johann Jakob Kaltenbach and his wife Daisy, who came from England, took over the management of the hotel. Between 1927 and 1930, a new building was erected in the gardens between Fehlandtstrasse and the Esplanade to offer guests the luxury of hot running water in all rooms. In the 1930s, political pressure on the church-related foundation grew; in 1941, it was banned by the Secret State Police, who demanded that its assets be liquidated. Kaltenbach, the long-standing director of Baseler Hof, was forced to buy the business in return for taking over the mortgages. At the beginning of the 1940s, the house became Flackheim, later a home for the Wehrmacht.
The second generation
They hired Hero Kleinhuis, the Kaltenbachs' son-in-law, as manager for the remaining staff, most of whom lived in the building. Although limited hotel operations were possible again from 1949, there was one problem: as the houses on the Esplanade were built on oak piles and the water level of the Alster had dropped due to the construction of the subway railroad in 1927, the foundation walls were rotting and cracking.
In 1954, the decision was made to build a new building. Only four years later, the small single rooms in Fehlandtstraße proved to be no longer rentable; as a result, the building was demolished up to the ceiling of the first floor and the new building of today was constructed.
The third generation
In the mid-1980s, Hero's son Just Kleinhuis took over the private hotel in Hamburg, renaming it "Baseler Hof". This was because more and more inquiries had come in asking whether the "Baseler Hospiz" would care for the dying. Just had big plans and created the Kleinhuis' wine bistro, a restaurant based on the French model, and modernized the rooms on the first floor.
At the turn of the millennium, the Baseler Hof as a modern hotel that remains committed to its Christian roots. In 2004, a modern glass and steel construction was erected in the upper section of the building in Fehlandtstraße. This new building comprises 20 rooms and two suites.
The fourth generation
In 2010, Lena Kleinhuis-Engelien became a partner at Baseler Hof; from 2018, she was initially responsible for financial and personnel accounting. Since September 2024, Just's daughter has been the sole managing director. Her brother Jacob Kleinhuis has been a silent partner since 2008 and has supported the business in its strategic direction since the beginning of 2024.
100 years Baseler Hof
A story of humanity
We celebrated the anniversary of our hotel on June 21, 2007 in style and created a chronicle of the hotel that illustrates its unique history. You can find an excerpt here. If you would like to find out more: The chronicle will be waiting for you in your room when you visit.
Passion for classic cars
Just in time for our centenary, we revved up the engines and organized a classic car rally for the first time. This has now become a wonderful tradition.
Every year in June, owners and enthusiasts of motorized classic cars meet for a fast-paced rally that takes its participants through the most beautiful areas around Hamburg.
Save the date!
The next classic car rally will take place on June 22, 2025. Further information will follow.
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