New perspectives occur when an individual lives out their dreams with passion, foresight and a head firmly screwed on. Design Hotels presents three fresh Originals, who have created unique and memorable experiences for their guests through their refreshingly unconventional approach to hospitality – whether in Tegernsee, Marrakech or Münster.
Korbinian Kohler, Owner
Hotel Bachmair Weissach, Rottach-Egern, Germany
Korbinian Kohler knows the area around Tegernsee like the back of his hand after growing up there and has set out to share the area’s breathtaking beauty with the world.
Heir to the renowned Gmund paper factory, the family firm has earned international success since Kohler and his brother took the reins, even reaching the glittering heights of the Academy Awards where winners’ names are read from handmade Gmund paper. After several years spent working abroad – foremost as an investor in real estate – Kohler moved back to Bavaria with a dream to open a hotel.
Hotel Bachmair Weissach has an impressive heritage as the oldest guesthouse on Tegernsee, and the cosmopolitan Kohler has fond memories of the hotel dating back to his childhood. “When it was very cold in Tegernsee, I would spend many contented hours fireside in one of the cosy parlours, with the wafting aromas of roast pork from the kitchen. Unfortunately, such moments are few and far between,” laments the hotel owner. “By breathing new life into Bachmair Weissach, I have realised a lifelong dream of reclaiming such moments.”
Since taking over the hotel five years ago, Kohler has instigated many changes. The old name has been reinstated, and the site completely renovated with flawless attention to detail. Today, Hotel Bachmair Weissach shines with a renewed grandeur without losing any of the authentic Bavarian charm that so enamours it to locals and visitors alike.
Andrea Bury, Owner
“It was never our intention to open a hotel,” remarks Andrea Bury of AnaYela in Marrakech. “We simply wanted to create an inspiring place in a meaningful and vibrant setting.” AnaYela was conceived as a kind of think tank — a creative meeting place for thinkers from every imaginable background, whether an artist or a politician. The hotel is a place where social conventions and expectations are left at the door, leaving guests free to see things in a different way and forge a new vision for themselves in their day-to-day lives.
Bury is renowned for her openness and passion for people, and her ability to combine these two commendable traits led to the success of AnaYela, both at the time of its opening in 2008 and in the present day. “I always try to distance myself from industry news and trends, something that is much easier to achieve when one has just five rooms,” says Bury, whose foray into the Moroccan hospitality scene led to another project close to her heart.
During the renovation of the traditional Moroccan house or riad that now houses AnaYela, the Stuttgart native discovered local handicraft, which had been forgotten due to the city’s tumultuous economic past. From this discovery, Abury was born, a fashion label and social project founded by Bury in 2011 to promote the country’s outstanding craftsmanship. Working in collaboration with Moroccan artisans, she produces handcrafted leather goods, the sale of which supports the local community and helps protect the region’s rich handicraft heritage. The foundation also supports schools, where experienced seamstresses pass down their knowledge to the next generation. “Things couldn’t have worked out any better if I had planned it all myself.”
David Deilmann, Managing Director
Factory Hotel, Münster, Germany
“When you are convinced of an idea or project, you should do everything in your power to realise it.” Here lies the motivation behind Factory Hotel’s Managing Director David Deilmann. Born and raised in Münster, Deilmann studied communications in Berlin before returning to his hometown to open a restaurant, jazz bar and café in the city centre. “And so began a lifelong passion for working in gastronomy,” recalls Deilmann. “To hear praise from your guests, and see them come back again and again, is a great feeling and shows that you are doing something right.”
Spurred on by his first successful steps into the world of gastronomy, Dielmann jumped at the opportunity to join a groundbreaking new hotel project in 2008. In the former Germania Brewery – where Münster’s finest beer was once brewed – Factory Hotel offers an experience for all the senses. Located at the heart of the Germania site, Dielmann has created a hotel in and around the historic structure of the former brewery. “Nobody builds this type of building anymore – you really have to seek them out. And so when you are lucky enough to come across one, you should do anything possible to bring it back to life and preserve its charm,” asserts Dielmann.
Old and new are masterfully blended at the Factory Hotel, where the use of wood, brick and concrete creates a cosy and open atmosphere in the 128 rooms and 16 suites. “To be frank, I believe that my strengths lie in the fact that I do not have a classical hotel and gastronomy background,” explains the family man of his success, “and therefore I am able see the hotel through the eyes of a guest.”
By merging opposites, injecting familiar surroundings with a refreshingly new perspective, and moulding innovative European concepts to fit the unique character of Münster, Delimann has helped to enrich the creative identity of his hometown and create an exciting new facet of the city.
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