On August 23 twenty years ago, Berlin’s iconic Adlon Kempinski Hotel opened its doors, immediately ushering in a new era in Berlin hospitality. Considered one of Germany’s leading properties virtually since opening day, The Adlon sits in Mitte, the heart of the once divided Berlin, where the elegant Unter den Linden boulevard meets Pariser Platz. It overlooks the Brandenburg Gate and is a short stroll from the Tiergarten, the Bundestag parliament, the soaring new Potsdamer Platz complex, the Deutsche Oper and dozens of museums. It is also adjacent to the American, French and British Embassies, the haunting Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism.

In the 20 years since its opening, it has become Germany’s unofficial state guesthouse, accommodating Presidents George H.W. and W. Bush, Clinton and Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, King Felipe of Spain, Nelson Mandela and a host of celebrities from Sophia Loren to Placido Domingo to Steven Spielberg to Angelina Jolie and dozens more. The Adlon entered another page of immortality in 2002 on the day Michael Jackson displayed his baby, Prince Michael II, from the balcony of his suite.

THE ADLON REBORN
The Adlon that opened 20 years ago is a rebirth. It recreates the original Hotel Adlon that was opened on the same site by Kaiser Wilhelm II 110 years ago. Brainchild of restaurateur Lorenz Adlon, the Adlon that opened in 1907 was designed to compete with London’s Savoy and Paris’ Ritz. And compete it did, attracting Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Enrico Caruso, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Cornelius Vanderbilt and none other than Czar Nicholas II. The Adlon was the “model” for the 1932 MGM movie, Grand Hotel; it was in this film that Greta Garbo uttered her immortal “I want to be alone.” The original Adlon was destroyed by fire in 1945, but remnants remained open as an East German tourist hotel until 1984.

In 2017, the Adlon remains a premier Berlin hotel. Its grand lobby was remodeled and enlarged in 2016, and its more-than-400 rooms and suites are in constantly updated pristine condition. The two-Michelin-star Lorenz Adlon restaurant recalls the hotel’s origins.

CELEBRATING 20/120 YEARS
A variety of opportunities are available for guests to participate in the anniversary, including:

Four stars in Lorenz Adlon Restaurant (November 11, 2017)
When the hotel was reopened in 1997, Karlheinz Hauser was its executive chef. On November 11, he is returning to his old workplace for the twentieth anniversary. The current head chef of the two-star gourmet restaurant, Hendrik Otto, will be cooking with Hauser to create a celebratory recollection of the classic dishes of the past 20 years. The five-course dinner with wine-pairing costs €350 per person and starts at 7pm.

“Kuidaore” at the Sra Bua by Tim Raue
From September 12, the team at the Adlon’s Sra Bua by Tim Raue Asian restaurant is inviting guests to “Kuidaore” or literally “eat themselves bankrupt.” Guests are served a variety of 20 different dishes representing the Sra Bua’s full range of culinary options. €199.70, menu for 2.

Stage for Young Artists
The hotel’s birthday kicks off a new musical series, “Stage for Young Artists.” Launched by Kempinski Hotels to mark its 120th company anniversary in 2017, the hotel lobbies in all Kempinski hotels will be transformed into a stage for talented young musicians, with the Adlon launching the program. In collaboration with the University of the Arts, the hotel has already engaged a number of very promising musical talents to showcase their talents in the hotel lobby every Friday or Saturday in the early evening (from 6:30pm) until the end of the year.

Adlon Hall of Fame & “Feuerzangenbowle” in the Lobby Bar
Our bar team is celebrating the anniversary with a selection of special cocktails – including “August ’97”, “The President’s Choice” and “The Queen’s Cup of Tea.” The drinks will be offered one after the other in the Lobby Bar, for a limited period from 23 August.

Building up to Christmas, the Lobby Bar will offer a “Feuerzangenbowle” (rum-soaked sugar loaf set alight over mulled wine) as a special treat.

Anniversary offer in Adlon Spa by Resense
In the over 9,000-square-foot spa and wellness area of the hotel, guests can relax and forget every day cares. For every booking of a La Prairie facial treatment (60 or 90 min.), guests will receive a La Prairie gift set with three cleansing products.

“Experience Adlon Spa” deluxe package
For the 20th anniversary, the Adlon has created a package for lovers of luxury hotels:
an overnight stay in a luxury Executive Room, with lavish breakfast
a four-course menu in Restaurant Quarré including Champagne
two hours in a spa suite in Adlon Spa by Resense including a bottle of Champagne and fresh fruit
the popular Adlon saga on DVD and a sweet surprise
limited-edition box of postcards dedicated to “20 years Hotel Adlon Kempinski”
The package is available through December 30, 2017 and is priced at
€584.50 per person.

Adlon Kempinski, www.kempinski.com/en/berlin/hotel-adlon/