Starwood Preferred Guest - Hotel Elephant, Weimar, Germany [Master Thread]

LH 738 asked already a question concerning Hotel Elephant in Weimar/Germany. Any experiences, hints regarding this hotel?

Thanks,
Ben.

I stayed there in August last year. Like this year they offered a rate of about 100€ (but consider additional costs of about 36€ for bfast for two and 11€ parking)

- the hotel is very good located at the marketplace at the cityhall
(all viewpoints and museums are very close and aswell some restaurants and cafes where you can sit aswell outside)

-even in the very middle of town you can find it easy by car, the parking place is next to the hotel but the cars are hidden

-the hotel is very elegant in its Bauhaus-style and with its new renovated rooms it is really a highlight

-my room (at that time no elite) was looking into the inner court of the house with no view at all, but therefore quiet (at the market place life music) I really liked the design of the room.

-I remember someone helped with the luggage and showed the room, check-in was efficient, but more about the staff I can`t tell.

-the guests of this hotel, which is at the end not so cheap, are more "sophisticated" interested in the cultur of Weimar - that makes a relaxable atmosphere

-as far as I remember bfast was nice (counting the high price together with the room rate as one incl.-price), I more remember the possibility to have the bfast in a nice garden behind the hotel (aswell Gourmet-Restaurant)

-there is a impressive library, if you love cigars that is the ultimative place!

-Elephantenkeller seems to be a famous restaurant, but I preferred to sit outside at the marketplace and join another very historic restaurant next to the hotel - I forgot the name

-enjoy the life of Weimar, there are a lot of events regarding Goethe and Schiller, but also local traditions like "Zwiebelmarkt" (onion-market?), "Toepfermarkt" (ceramics), a lot of cultural, especially musically events due to the city-resources (university, theaters).

By accident we joined years ago a "Weinfest" (vinefestival) in front of the Goethe-House - and I would have loved to stay in the "Elephant" instead of the Hilton far away.

Hotel Elephant, Weimar (Luxury Collection)

Very nice property, has been a hotel for over 300 years with guests like Goethe or Bach. Hotel is right in the heart of Weimar on the market place. Stylish rooms and public spaces in the Bauhaus style which Weimar is famous for. This hotel has a beautiful library!

Was upgraded to a junior suite that looked suspiciously like the grand deluxe room I originally reserved. On the other hand, I found a very nice porcelain elephant in the room, so they certainly recogniced my status. Asked for a room facing the market place, but was told all were sold. Hotel voluntarily offered to move me on my second day, but then I had to depart early for Dresden.

Staff was friendly and efficient with the exception of the night clerk with whom getting 50 euros in cash for the taxi driver was like pulling teeth.

Weimar where we stayed at the Elephant, a Sheraton property that formerly was a Kepinski Hotel, and in the more distant pass, housed Adolf Hitler who addressed the crowds from a hotel balcony overlooking the town square. This hotel began serving travelers in about 1536, and was a jewel in a jewel of a town. Mrs. L.P. still raves about the breakfast, and the dining room was superb, providing fine dining one evening, and on the other evening when it was closed ate in the Rathskeller. The Bauhaus movement originated in Weimar, and so the hotel was decorated in the Bauhaus style, as was our suite, room 318. Our room consisted of a living room, and a bedroom, both rather large, as well as a bath. Like Dresden, this hotel was maintained well. I asked about the 500 Point ammenity, and in typical East German folklore, was told that the manager knew nothing about the 500 point ammenity upon checkin, and if the manager did not know about it, it did not exist and it would not happen! This made was some fun conversations we had with the desk clerk during our stay! Again, a top flight hotel that was deserving of its reputation as the best in town. We enjoyed our two nights in this property.

In summary, I had a great stay

+ Status recognition
+ Excellent Buffet Breakfast (very high quality of the food)
+ Location
+ nice suite and huge bathroom with Bvlgari amenities
- no wellness center/sauna/pool/fitness center


Picture report:
Hotel Elephant; Weimar (http://www.e-traveller.net/tikiV5/tiki-page.php?pageName=LH738_2006_WeimarElephant_01)

Elephant is one of my favourites - always upgraded to a suite and incredibly nice and friendly staff. Plus, the hotel itself is very charming.

In summary, I had a great stay

+ Status recognition
+ Excellent Buffet Breakfast (very high quality of the food)
+ Location
+ nice suite and huge bathroom with Bvlgari amenities
- no wellness center/sauna/pool/fitness center


Picture report:
Hotel Elephant; Weimar (http://www.e-traveller.net/tikiV5/tiki-page.php?pageName=LH738_2006_WeimarElephant_01)
LH738: I've enjoyed your posts over the years, and now I feel we have finally connected, as you appear to be following our footsteps to the Lily Palmer Suite. What wonderful memories you brought back to my wife and me after a stay at this superb property in September. Mrs. Life_Platinum said that you must have been the first customer that was assigned to "our suite" after we left all the bread crumbs from our lunches served with the same bottle of Chilean wine. It must have taken the hotel months to pick up all these crumbs in the living room that you showed us. We looked on your photo page, but could not see your evaluation--did this hotel get a score of 100 LH738 units? We are planning to be at a hotel that you previously stayed at in the far east, and are relying on knowing how we should interpret your scores based on the Elephant. I'm surprised you didn't take a picture of the fine French champagne that was served at the buffet breakfast, as it was one of the most memorable breakfasts we have had.

Then there was the very East Germanic desk clerk who told me that no matter what Starwood said, her supervisors word in the back office spoke the word of god when it came to how many Starwood points we would get!

Thanks again for your wonderful post and look forward to seeing pictures of your other stays.

Yes, we would go back to the Elephant in a heartbeat!

LH738: I've enjoyed your posts over the years, and now I feel we have finally connected, as you appear to be following our footsteps to the Lily Palmer Suite. What wonderful memories you brought back to my wife and me after a stay at this superb property in September. Mrs. Life_Platinum said that you must have been the first customer that was assigned to "our suite" after we left all the bread crumbs from our lunches served with the same bottle of Chilean wine. It must have taken the hotel months to pick up all these crumbs in the living room that you showed us. We looked on your photo page, but could not see your evaluation--did this hotel get a score of 100 LH738 units? We are planning to be at a hotel that you previously stayed at in the far east, and are relying on knowing how we should interpret your scores based on the Elephant. I'm surprised you didn't take a picture of the fine French champagne that was served at the buffet breakfast, as it was one of the most memorable breakfasts we have had.

Then there was the very East Germanic desk clerk who told me that no matter what Starwood said, her supervisors word in the back office spoke the word of god when it came to how many Starwood points we would get!

Thanks again for your wonderful post and look forward to seeing pictures of your other stays.

Yes, we would go back to the Elephant in a heartbeat!
I followed your 'breadcrumb trail' (as in the fairy tale Hänsel and Gretel) through Weimar until I arrived in the wonderful hotel. Good to know you had a great time there. Don't worry the suite is clean/in a good condition for you and Mrs. Life_Platinum to return again. Actually, we should keep the hotel as a secret for us to return...
The public areas are also very charming (e.g. restaurants) and I also enjoyed to sit there and "celebrate" the excellent breakfast (French champagne, a lot of (fresh) juices, high quality of the food).

You had a too thourough look at my overview page and detected that I was too lazy with my latest reviews in order to complete the evaluation (~90%)... still some homework ...

Very nice report - thanks.
I have been twice in Weimar, and had a look at The Elephant (stayed at the Hilton, which is modern but a little remote, parking is free).
The location of the Elephant is great, but how about parking ($$?)?
Thanks again for this great review and the pictures...

The location of the Elephant is great, but how about parking ($$?)?
I always arrived by train and cab so I'm not 100% sure about the parking fees: the hotel has parking slots only. As far as I know, a parking slot costs 12EUR a day. There must be a public parking garage (also for hotel Dorint) in the area. I've no idea about the costs.

Thank your for this wonderful trip report ^^ ;) . It seems to be a really nice hotel, and they offer sometimes really good rates.

Beside this, I have begun to read the novel "Lotte in Weimar" four times and never finished it. It is the only book of Thomas Mann I did not like that much.

I fully agree: the hotel is very nice.

I was upgraded to a Junior suite (one-night stay in May 2007) with view to the market place. The suite had a separate seating area and a lot of space to store my bags. The bathroom was nice but had the standard luxury collection amenities only.

Unfortunately, the main station is a bit far too walk to. A cab ride is around 8
EUR. There are many restaurants (local food, Italian food; and McDonalds/Burger King for those suffering withdrawal syndrome) around the hotel.

Hotel Elephant Weimar

I stayed there for one night after reading about this hotel on this forum. I was given a junior suite on the 4th floor which had 2 single beds and dormer windows. The location was great on the old Market Square where you can occasionally pick up free wireless Internet connection from the Internet cafe next door.

I liked this hotel enough that I immediately booked another night on my way back from Leipzig. The second night I had a suite on the first floor (one above the ground floor). According to the floor plan, room 118 was right below the Lilli Palmer suite, but with the same 2-room floor plan. This suite felt more like an apartment than a hotel room.

Just returned from a night at the Elephant! It is a incredable hotel for the value. We did park and were charged 14 euro's. Rate at 136 Euro was not bad, upgraded to a mini suite that seemed like a small apartment, however it was in the rear facing a small courtyard shared by a neighboring Black Bear Bistro, with lots of activity until midnight. The reason this was an issue is that the hotel does not have air conditioning. The day we arrived was over 87 degrees and by 11 pm it was 76, not bad but the rooms remained very warm even though we had the windows wide open. Also lots of small flies came into the room with the open windows. We enjoyed the stay, but it could be an issue for some. If you visit the hotel make sure to check out the lobby bathrooms, they are incredable

I want to split 3 nights and two full days between here and the Hotel Fuerstenhof in Leipzig. Should I book 2 nights at the Elephant or 2 at the Fuerstenhof?

Does the Elephant still have no AC? How uncomfortable is it likely to be in August? Does the hotel have fans available for guests to use in room?

Some suites do have ac. If it is uncomfortable or not in August depends by the weather. The answer of question with the fans I don't know. :confused: Call them directly...

I know there is a arrangement 2 + 1 day splitted in Leipzig and Weimar. I would stay longer in Weimar, but this is your choice.

BTW: The restaurant anna amalia ( closed sunday and monday !!! ) has one star michelin, the restaurant in Leipzig has a new chef, the ex-chef of the "ente in lehel", arabellasheraton grand munich.

welcome to weimar!
i have been working here on the university now for 7 years.
after the sold of hilton weimar i haved booked all my foreign colleagues and visitors at hotel elephant on uni-rate (50...90 eur with bf) without a single complain.
i can highly recommend the hotel.

@ SanDiego1K when will you be there? |I will be at this hotel on 30-07 to 31-07. I will be in the area the whole week from the 25th till the 31th of July.

if your there on these dates maybe we could meet up somewhere for a mini do. if you have any questions after these dates please feel free to ask me.

I will do a detailed trip report of all the the starwood hotels in the area.

http://www.restaurant-ranking.com/en/top/restaurant_guide_el_bulli_fat_duck_paul_bocuse_nom a/ci/weimar/resto/anna_amalia/index.html

Stayed here on July 30th and made a photo stay report as promised. All photo's taken with my new EOS 1000D camera.

I emailed the hotel in advance with a request if it would be possible to change my King room to a twin bedded room. Got a responses within 15 minutes that I would be upgraded to a twin bedded JR. Suite facing the Market.

On arrival I was greeted by a very friendly front desk agent and she told my I was upgraded to a JR. Suite and gave my my platinum amenity card, I choose the 500 points. she also asked if she had to make a reservation for us at the Michelin star restaurant, I declined as we had already eaten something.

The room was great, there was a separate toilet and one in the bathroom as well. The view from the window was outstanding. We didn't have breakfast in the hotel as it was 20 Euros and there are a lot of alternatives within a 2 minute walk.

I parked my car in the hotels parking lot and it was actually quite cheap at only 13 Euros per day.

All in all my short one day stay was great and would happily return in the future. If you guys have any more questions I am happy to answer them.

Photo report (http://thomas199023.blogspot.com/2009/08/hotel-elephant-weimar-germany.html) (click on photos to have them enlarged.)

Thanks, Thomas, it's great to read a report about a hotel where I will stay for the first time very soon. It seems from your report that I don't need to worry about booking their restaurant in advance. That was of concern to me, since I do want to eat there. Do you know if they are still offering an elephant as an alternative for the 500 point platinum amenity? And did you feel that the junior suite was the best available platinum upgrade? Your junior suite seemed rather small. Or do you think your need for a twin bedded room kept you out of the suites? Also, there have been reports of no air conditioning here. How was the room temperature?

Do you know if they are still offering an elephant as an alternative for the 500 point platinum amenity? And did you feel that the junior suite was the best available platinum upgrade? Your junior suite seemed rather small. Or do you think your need for a twin bedded room kept you out of the suites?

The junior suite does look small. I stayed there twice, not quite two years ago, and one of the upgraded suite was a large full two room suite with a king bed. The hotel has quite a few different room layouts. I also have the elephant in my office, since my wife wouldn't let me take it home.

Thanks, Thomas, it's great to read a report about a hotel where I will stay for the first time very soon. It seems from your report that I don't need to worry about booking their restaurant in advance. That was of concern to me, since I do want to eat there. Do you know if they are still offering an elephant as an alternative for the 500 point platinum amenity? And did you feel that the junior suite was the best available platinum upgrade? Your junior suite seemed rather small. Or do you think your need for a twin bedded room kept you out of the suites? Also, there have been reports of no air conditioning here. How was the room temperature?

I don't know if they are offering the Elephant, I just took the points as I normally do. The JR. Suite was a bit on the small side but I do believe this is due to the twin beds, as I could see on-line that I was pre-assigned to a "real" suite but after I asked about the twin beds it became a Jr. Suite. So probably if you ask nice they will give you a real suite if they have them available.

I'm not sure there was Air-conditioning in the room. I normally prefer to have the windows open as I don't like the dry air. But then again the room temperature was very comfortable.

When you are in Weimar, make sure you will at least take a walk in the park on a nice day it's really beautiful. And as for the restaurant reservation, you can probably just email the front desk and ask them to make a reservation for the restaurant.

I would recommend to book a table for the restaurant in advance, if you like to sit on their beautiful garden terrace, otherwise you should be okay.

Breakfast was very nice, although some more upscale selections could not hurt.

The rooms are classic Kempinski mid to late 1990's style and need to be updated as soon as possible, especially the beds are years behind the competition...in times of Grand Beds, Heavenly Beds, one pillow on a mattress looks more like a YMCA.

Otherwise, you can take a bath in tradition, the staff is very helpful and Weimar looks better than ever before, wasn't there for quite some time.

The Luxury Collection properties in Leipzig and Weimar were both former Kempinski hotels, however Kempinski was not able to support their idea of hospitality given the relatively low rates in both cities and sold both hotels to Arabella Hospitality, which runs the hotels a little below the standards Kempinski is known for. With all due respect, both the Fuerstenhof and the Elephant need new beds and Tv sets asap, some rooms need completely new bath rooms, too.

Staff, restaurants are among the best in their respective markets, but it is time to invest into the rooms now, otherwise The Luxury Collection branding is simply not justified anymore.

Cab to the railway station was Euro 7, bus to the hotel was Euro 1,80 + some minutes walking through the city centre, cobblestones and my suitcase were a perfect match :(:D

The rooms are classic Kempinski mid to late 1990's style and need to be updated as soon as possible, especially the beds are years behind the competition...in times of Grand Beds, Heavenly Beds, one pillow on a mattress looks more like a YMCA.

Otherwise, you can take a bath in tradition, the staff is very helpful and Weimar looks better than ever before, wasn't there for quite some time.

The Luxury Collection properties in Leipzig and Weimar were both former Kempinski hotels, however Kempinski was not able to support their idea of hospitality given the relatively low rates in both cities and sold both hotels to Arabella Hospitality, which runs the hotels a little below the standards Kempinski is known for. With all due respect, both the Fuerstenhof and the Elephant need new beds and Tv sets asap, some rooms need completely new bath rooms, too.

Staff, restaurants are among the best in their respective markets, but it is time to invest into the rooms now, otherwise The Luxury Collection branding is simply not justified anymore.

I agree that the rooms are in need of a refurbishment, though they are very well maintained, no scratches or stains on anything and the bathroom was very well maintained as well. Though all the furniture look like they are from the 80ties - early 90ties. My 44 Euro a night room as the four points in Dresden was nicer. But then all the public areas are of real 5 star quality and the staff made up for alot.

I found the bed to be fine but is nothing compared to a Sweet sleeper, Heavenly bed or even a Four comfort bed.

I agree that the rooms are in need of a refurbishment, though they are very well maintained, no scratches or stains on anything and the bathroom was very well maintained as well. Though all the furniture look like they are from the 80ties - early 90ties. My 44 Euro a night room as the four points in Dresden was nicer. But then all the public areas are of real 5 star quality and the staff made up for alot.

I found the bed to be fine but is nothing compared to a Sweet sleeper, Heavenly bed or even a Four comfort bed.

Agree completely, especially the staircase including the quotes e.g. by Oscar Wilde is amazing, hand-written letter of appreciation by Thomas Mann is not too shabby either. The whole atmosphere makes up for the rooms, however if you call yourself Luxury Collection, you should have a gym, or at least something to make up for ( entrance pass to local gym etc. )

Speaking of the breakfast buffet, as pointed out already, very nice, however some other properties, also holding a 5 star rating, have simply more to offer.

I am very keen on branding and I hate to see brands being compromised and I fear both The Fuerstenhof and The Elephant cannot really deliver on all fronts and I would love see them playing on another, even higher level.

I am very keen on branding and I hate to see brands being compromised and I fear both The Fuerstenhof and The Elephant cannot really deliver on all fronts and I would love see them playing on another, even higher level.

I agree with your comments regarding both hotels needing updating, especially the TV's, still the very old curved screen.

On the other hand, both hotels are priced very low relative to other Luxury Collection hotels, or the Westin Leipzig. So I guess it's a trade off between updated, nicer hardware vs low priced luxury.

This hotel is very special in the same way that the much lamented former Starwood property Villa Cipriani in Asolo is special. The hotel is not over the top, but a solid hotel in the perfect location in an exquisite small town with much to see and do. Having now spent time in Dresden (on a prior trip), Leipzig and Weimar, they would make a great vacation trip. They are within a couple hours of each other, with Leipzig the middle city. Each has a Starwood hotel. I highly recommend each city, and certainly Weimar with the Elephant Hotel.

I had read the prior posts about the Elephant, and very specifically chose it as a destination on my current trip thanks to those reviews. I didn’t properly understand how much I would love Weimar. Weimar is a town of about 60,000, a cultural center for several hundreds of years. Its inner old town is absolutely charming. Most of the things to do and see are within blocks of the Elephant. The Bauhaus movement started here. There are homes here for Schiller, Liszt, Goethe, and others. The German constitutional convention was held here after World War I. Buchenwald is 5 miles from Weimar. It is a very sad destination, but important for me to be reminded of something we never want to repeat. The film in the orientation center included a clip of Hitler giving his speech from the balcony of the Elephant.

The who’s who of hotel guests is remarkable, many of the leading European politicians of the past two decades. Helmut Kohl and Jacques Chirac stayed here in 1997. Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroder stayed here in 2002.

The hotel has 6 named suites. I understand that 4 of them are considered standard suites and are available for platinum upgrades. The six are:

1. Thomas Mann suite
2. Walter Gropius suite
3. Lionel Feininger suite
4. Alfred Ahner suite – room 218
5. Lily Palmer suite – room 318
6. Bauhaus Suite

We were given the Alfred Ahner suite. The corridor to the suite is lined with his pictures and posters about his exhibitions. The suite is filled with his pictures. The suite is exactly like the Lily Palmer suite. You can see it by following LH738’s link below. I understand it is done in the Bauhaus style. While I like minimalism, I find the very spacious living room a bit drab with its black leather furniture and tan walls. As others have remarked, there is no air conditioning. Windows open wide, and we have very good cross ventilation. We also had a fan brought to the room, and are very comfortable. The TVs are tiny, perhaps 19”, and CRTs. Fortunately we watch very little TV when we travel. The shower is in the tub, and would benefit from a bowed shower curtain so that the curtain did not plaster itself to ones’ body.

We got Bulgari toiletries on request. The minibar has about 8 bottles of beer, juice, water, and soda. It is all free. Internet is 19 euros for 24 hours. You can log on and off, and distribute those hours over as many days as you like. Parking is 15 euros and very convenient, immediately behind the hotel.

The hotel offers 3 instant rewards:
1. 2250 points – breakfast buffet in Anna Amalia
2. 3750 points – menu of Thuringian specialities including drinks in Elephantenkeller
3. 7500 points – 5n course evening menu in Anna Amalia
4. 12000 points – degustation menu including wines in Anna Amalia

Value is 1 euro to 1 spg point. In other words, you can get the breakfast menu for 22.5 euros, etc.

A fair bit of the area around the hotel is pedestrian only. The weather is glorious, and all the restaurants and cafes have their tables outside. The hotel has comfortable seating in front, and serves from the bar. It’s delightful to sit outside at night, able to see the illuminated buildings, and think of all the history here.


Picture report:
Hotel Elephant; Weimar (http://www.e-traveller.net/tikiV5/tiki-page.php?pageName=LH738_2006_WeimarElephant_01)

Thanks SanDiego1K, for your great review, and solving the question of AC there at the Elephant. Even with the certain things lacking as mentioned above, it still is a pretty special place to stay in a wonderful historical old town.
If your still there make sure to visit the public bath rooms on the entry level, they are very beautiful with the lighting coming from behind thin marble slabs.
After reading you review I'm planning my return to Weimar and the Elephant, maybe in the Christmas season!

My husband requested a suite at check-in since we were traveling with my mother and needed to have a place for us all to gather. They gave us the Lilly Palmer suite as a Plat upgrade with no hesitation which was great since we were using cash and points. We thought it was a really nice room - certainly not the nicest we´ve had on an SPG tour of Europe but very nice nevertheless.

The lack of AC would definitely be a problem for a light sleeper, since we slept with the windows open and could hear lots of traffic including the garbage trucks. My mother had an interior facing room which was tiny but probably better for those with trouble sleeping.

The only thing I would criticize is the TVs and the Internet. There really is no excuse for tiny old CRTs. Other things were a bit dated in the room but very nice nevertheless. We paid the 19 Euro for the internet access - it was a very poor wireless connection. If my husband wasn´t so fond of having the internet in the room, I would definitely have gone to the internet cafe next door to the hotel.

After reading you review I'm planning my return to Weimar and the Elephant, maybe in the Christmas season!
There's a really nice Xmas market in Erfurt.