New Quarter at Düsseldorf Central Station Completed

Real estate developer GBI has implemented the winning concept from an urban design competition by the Düsseldorf-based architecture firm greeen! architects. The hotel brands Premier Inn, Hampton by Hilton, and Adina Apartments complement each other in addressing different guest groups. With a total of 717 rooms, this is one of the largest hotel development projects in Germany. Additional key components of the quarter include the Block House steakhouse and a parking garage operated by APCOA. DWS acquired the buildings for an open-ended real estate fund.

Düsseldorf/Berlin, March 17, 2022 – The new real estate quarter on Harkortstraße in central Düsseldorf has been completed. On the 17,000-square-meter site directly adjacent to the central station, which had been used for decades as a railway car loading station, three accommodation offerings were developed: Adina Apartment Hotel, Hampton by Hilton, and Premier Inn. The project has a total gross floor area of 32,700 square meters and is GBI’s largest project to date as well as one of the largest hotel developments in Germany, with 717 completed rooms. Additional features include a Block House steakhouse, accommodating up to 122 guests across 525 square meters indoors and an outdoor terrace, as well as an underground garage with 238 parking spaces, operated by APCOA and accessible to both hotel guests and the public.

“Completing a project of this scale on time despite the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread personnel and material shortages is a special achievement by our construction team,” emphasizes Dagmar Specht, board member of GBI Holding AG responsible for planning and construction management. Block House and APCOA’s parking operations were already up and running by the end of last year. Subsequently, the Hampton by Hilton, operated by Foremost Hospitality, opened on January 10, 2022, with 219 rooms, followed by Premier Inn on February 18 with 297 rooms. The Adina Apartment Hotel, comprising 201 units, completed the trio in early March. Ownership of the hotel trio was transferred from developer GBI to DWS’s open-ended real estate fund grundbesitz europa in February 2022.

Significantly improved location quality around the central station
“Our goal from the outset was to create an inviting showcase for the city in one of Düsseldorf’s most prominent locations. The result is impressive,” summarizes Reiner Nittka, spokesperson for GBI’s board. Since planning began in 2016, GBI engaged in intensive dialogue with local politics, city administration, and neighbors. “Residents were involved in the redevelopment. The continuous passage from the central station to Mintropplatz, as well as its bright and welcoming design, was a key element for all involved,” Nittka adds. “The three internationally successful hotel brands complement each other well and provide offerings befitting the capital of Germany’s most populous state, a city that is both an economic and cultural magnet.”

Düsseldorf-based greeen! architects, which won the urban design competition in 2016, was responsible for planning: “Our aim was to enhance this central location and integrate the three squares around the station – Mintropplatz, Harkortplatz, Konrad-Adenauer-Platz – into urban life,” explains managing director and project lead Mario Reale. “This has been achieved. It is now easy to walk through the new center of Düsseldorf. The city and its citizens have received a new, high-quality quarter.”

For Cornelia Zuschke, head of planning, building, housing, and real estate for the City of Düsseldorf, the development on Harkortstraße presents a successful urban design: “The previously unused potential of the site has been activated and highlighted through good architecture. It is already evident that this has a positive effect on the surrounding area and creates a pull effect for good ideas and interesting settlements.” The urban planning measures have clearly improved the quality of the central station environment.

To emphasize the quarter concept, all three hotels feature a continuous facade with a surrounding brass-colored band. The generously glazed ground floor animates the newly created passage, and outdoor dining areas available at the hotels contribute to a vibrant urban space. The hotel trio, directly connected to Konrad-Adenauer-Platz, represents the first building block in the redevelopment of the entire station forecourt, carried out in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn Station & Service AG. The “Central Station Area Masterplan,” developed with citizen participation, provides the design framework. Reale notes, “This connects the Friedrichstadt and Bilk districts with the upgraded station forecourt.”

Hotel operators value central location
Although the three hotel chains operate internationally, the central location in Düsseldorf makes it special. “In Germany’s major cities, it is rare to secure such a prime location. We are therefore pleased to fit into GBI’s mixed-use concept for the station square,” says Dr. Michael Hartung, CEO and head of investments at Premier Inn Germany. The 297 rooms of the British chain are now bookable.

For Australian-based Adina Hotels, Düsseldorf is a strategically important market for European expansion. “Our apartment hotel concept requires central locations in top cities where generous space planning is possible. At Düsseldorf Central Station, guests can now book 201 fully equipped studios and apartments ranging from 28 to 60 square meters for short- or long-term stays. We were able to implement our concept here perfectly,” says Matthias Niemeyer, Director of Development Europe at Adina Hotels.

Foremost Hospitality Management GmbH, Hilton’s franchise operator in Germany, had searched extensively for a suitable location in Düsseldorf before deciding on the project. “The Hampton by Hilton Düsseldorf City Centre, with 219 rooms, is an important addition to our portfolio,” says Timo Kläner, Managing Director at Foremost. “The hotel meets the demand of our guests at this very central location and fits perfectly with Hilton’s growth strategy.”

Operators are optimistic about occupancy. “This will become clear shortly as most COVID restrictions are lifted,” says Inge Van Ooteghem, COO of Premier Inn Germany. “Given the central and easily accessible location, we expect a significant increase in bookings. Accessibility and city-center connection are key factors for many guests in such a cultural and economic metropolis.”

Redevelopment also includes a daycare center
The development also considers local infrastructure. The daycare center “Die sieben Zwerge e.V.” was preserved, even though part of it lies on GBI’s property. Technical issues with the neighboring tax office were resolved in good cooperation.

DWS had acquired the properties for the open-ended fund grundbesitz europa before construction began, at a purchase price of approximately €157 million. “With its central location directly at the main station in one of Germany’s top cities, the hotel ensemble of three buildings, with long-term lease agreements and complementary operator concepts, immediately convinced us,” explains Anke Weinreich, fund manager of grundbesitz europa at DWS. “The acquisition serves to diversify the sector within our real estate portfolio of nearly 100 properties, which previously included only three hotels.”

For Simon Behr, managing director of GBI Capital, the transaction was also special: “The Düsseldorf project is not only one of the largest hotel developments of recent years, but ownership transfer was also challenging due to the combination of different uses and operators.”

This is GBI’s second hotel-trio development in a German metropolis. In 2016, three hotels were completed in Frankfurt’s Europaviertel, including Premier Inn, Hampton by Hilton, and an apartment offering from Capri by Fraser. “With the right mix of operators, such hotel projects can be successful. With 717 rooms now compared to 512 in Frankfurt, this development is even larger,” explains GBI board member Dagmar Specht.

New culinary offer from Block House fits the Rhine metropolis
For Hamburg-based steakhouse chain Block House, the restaurant at the central station is its second in Düsseldorf, alongside the Altstadt location. “Düsseldorf is known for its open and friendly population, and we are pleased that locals enjoy our culinary offerings and the pleasant atmosphere for conversations and meetings. The new Block House, centrally located at the station quarter, fits well into the city’s flair and provides a cozy spot for Düsseldorf residents and visitors,” says Markus Gutendorff, board member of Block House Restaurantbetriebe AG.

The underground garage at the central station is APCOA’s 19th managed parking facility in Düsseldorf. “Additional parking was urgently needed at such a key hub, not just for hotel guests,” says Anja Müller, Director of Operations at APCOA PARKING Germany. With APCOA FLOW, customers can use a digital service that makes parking simpler and safer. The free app allows users to enter and exit the garage without tickets or cash.

Source: GBI Holding AG