A BOUTIQUE HOTEL, CONFERENCE ROOMS AND CASUAL DINING UNITED IN HISTORIC INDUSTRIAL ARCHITECTURE A building with history, a modern industrial design and outstanding service make the heyligenstaedt in Gießen a highlight for everyone who enjoys great retro-style food and stylish interiors. Combining a hotel, conference rooms and a restaurant under one roof, the heyligenstaedt provides the ideal surroundings for company events. TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN I PHOTOS: HOTEL & RESTAURANT HEYLIGENSTAEDT
The boutique hotel is small but exquisite and a real gem for any interior design enthusiasts. Each of the 20 rooms has an individual design: the three single rooms, 16 double rooms and the suite are decorated and furnished in different colours – from warm burgundy and brown shades to exposed brickwork combined with a print wallpaper and yellow curtains. The interior is thereby perfectly coordinated. One floor is completely barrier-free and suitable for people with allergies, while a roof sauna and mini spa provide the ideal space to relax after an exhausting day. Bettina and Markus Leidner opened the heyligenstaedt in 2012 and showed a great passion for historic details: today, the listed 52 | Issue 87 | November 2021
former factory building combines the historic building structure with modern ambiance and service. High ceilings, large muntin windows and exposed brickwork create a unique atmosphere in the hotel, conference centre and restaurant. American-style short ribs, slow-cooked for 60 hours and then refined on a charcoal barbecue, is one of the heyligenstaedt’s specialities. In the casual dining restaurant, head chef Markus Leidner reinterprets classic dishes in a modern way. His retro style includes well-known German dishes like Birne Helen, a dessert with pear and chocolate, and Hirschkalbsrücken, young venison saddle, as well as international dishes like prawns and Fontina ravioli. The kitchen’s
unique selling point is a Josper barbecue (a charcoal grill) that gives grilled dishes and stews a distinctive smoky flavour. With the conference rooms, available for anything from two to 150 people, the hotel management has made a similar effort: brickwork and beams, light-flooded rooms, wooden floors, and decoration suitable for any event create the perfect atmosphere for company meetings as well as a late dinner with colleagues. All of this combines to make the heyligenstaedt a far more alluring alternative to the standard congress centres out there.
