Gerbermühle - Frankfurt

Gerbermühle is a former tannery mill on the banks of the River Main, a few kilometres up stream from the centre of Frankfurt. It is most well known as the place where Goethe, the city’s favourite son, spent some time with a muse, Marianne von Willemer. Destroyed during the Second World War, the restoration of the original 16th Century building by local developer Werner Kindermann has brought pride, and a great new venue, to the citizens of Frankfurt.

Upon the original foundations a sturdy, stone replica has been wrapped in a modern construction that is now run as a restaurant-with-rooms venture. The operators are Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu, who also run The Pure (Sleeper Spring 2006) and Bristol hotels, soon to be joined by Roomers Hotel, plus a number of other bars & restaurants.

The stone walled building is at the heart of the hotel and is now the Tower Bar. The new surrounding buildings, coloured in mellow tones of maize yellow and umber, create a glass-roofed courtyard. This is the lobby of the hotel complete with worn flagstones – the other buildings are occupied by the 19 guestrooms, two meeting rooms and a number of more or less intimate dining spaces for up to 180 guests.

The main restaurant area features oval-backed chairs and dark wooden tables beneath a white-beamed ceiling. Small, black-shaded lamps circle the faux stag horn chandeliers by Luz Interiors of Belgium. They are carved from wood and reflect the parkland setting. A glass extension, the Winter Garden, becomes decidedly attractive even in winter as it is decorated with countless ‘Votive’ and wire-bound ‘Firefly’ glass candleholders by Dutch designers DK Home. Outside on the packed gravel terrace, directly on the riverbank is the biergarten. Furnished with traditional Garpa garden furniture and with space for over 500 guests the area can still get packed in summer.

Inside, the Tower Bar provides a more cosy atmosphere with the stone walls bottom-lit to accentuate their rough texture. Hide covered
wingback chairs from Andrew Martin and flaming decorative features add to the clubby atmosphere. From the high, timbered ceiling hangs a horn chandelier by Roberto Cavelli.

Directly above the bar and reached by an exclusive gangway is the Marianne duplex suite. Its first floor lounge includes a glass box-like construction that juts out of one corner of this large dining room / lounge area. A sweeping staircase leads to a bedroom that occupies the full height of the steeply pitched roof space. One end of the A-frame comprises two large windows that flood the room with natural light. Either side are the entrances to the WC and bathroom. The interior design is by Oana Rosen and follows something of her minimalist all-white approach as seen at The Pure, but here in the nineteen guestrooms is a Biedermeier-inspired touch. The clean lines and utilitarian pragmatism of the beautifully crafted original cabinetry sit easily alongside the high-sheen modern casework such as that which surrounds the white leather-padded bed headboards. These gallery-like spaces are softened by drapes and bed throws in pale ochre, green and buff that create a more homely feel. The hotel is generally free from fuss and frippery, if you’ll excuse the Moooi Design full-scale horse lamp in the lobby, where Rosen has created ‘grown-up’ and sophisticated interiors.

GERBERMÜHLE
Gerbermühlestrassse 105, 60594 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel +49 (0)69 689 77 790
www.gerbermuehle.de

Rooms    19 guestrooms
Dining    Restaurant
Drinking    Biergarten, Tower Bar
Facilities    Winter Garden, 2 meeting rooms