The Four Seasons brand is returning to Germany, with the opening of a hotel in the country’s capital.
In this post:
Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome will become Four Seasons Berlin
The Four Seasons Berlin is expected to open in late 2027, marking the brand’s return to the city after 20 years. Specifically, Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome will undergo a full renovation, prior to reopening as a Four Seasons. The hotel will operate as Hotel de Rome through 2026, managed by Gruppo Statuto, before opening as a Four Seasons.
The goal with the renovation is to preserve the property’s storied façade, while transforming and modernizing the entire property. The Four Seasons will feature approximately 140 guest rooms and suites, three distinctive restaurant and bar experiences, an expansive rooftop terrace overlooking the city, and a large wellness area and spa.
The result is intended to blend timeless and modern design, reflecting Berlin’s distinct balance of history, creativity, and contemporary culture. The property was originally home to the former Dresdner Bank headquarters, and was built in the late 1800s. Then in 2006, the building was transformed into a hotel. It’s located in the historic Mitte district, and is set along the cobblestone streets of Bebelplatz.
It’s nice to see the Four Seasons brand return to Germany
The upcoming Four Seasons Berlin will mark the brand’s return to Germany, so that’s a pretty cool development. This won’t be the first time that Four Seasons operates a property in Berlin, as the brand had a hotel there from 1996 to 2004. At that point, it was converted into the Regent Berlin (which has since closed, so I’m curious what’s going to happen with that property).
Interestingly, in Germany you’ll find some properties named Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten (which translates to “Hotel Four Seasons”), but they have no connection to the Four Seasons brand… though they are connected to Kempinski…
Admittedly Germany is a tricky hotel market, since it’s heavily business oriented, with limited international tourism, so a brand like Four Seasons might not have the name recognition and pricing power it would have elsewhere. At the same time, the brand’s complete absence there has been a major gap.
For example, looking at competitor Rosewood, the group has three properties between Austria and Germany, including the Rosewood Munich, Rosewood Vienna, and Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, near Salzburg. So I’m happy to see Four Seasons gaining some ground.
Bottom line
The Four Seasons brand is returning to Berlin, with the opening of a property in late 2027. This will be a rebrand of Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome. So when you blend the property’s historic bones with an extensive renovation, I think this could be a pretty awesome hotel. I’m also happy to see the Four Seasons brand finally have a presence in Germany again.
What’s your take on plans for the Four Seasons Berlin?
Stayed here last summer. It was alright, not great for a luxury hotel. The first suite they put us in reeked of cigarette smoke. They didn't have the same category suite available so they said we could stay in that one or move to a lower category suite that they tried to convince us was the same category (a quick check of the website clearly showed us that it was lower). We ended up staying...
Stayed here last summer. It was alright, not great for a luxury hotel. The first suite they put us in reeked of cigarette smoke. They didn't have the same category suite available so they said we could stay in that one or move to a lower category suite that they tried to convince us was the same category (a quick check of the website clearly showed us that it was lower). We ended up staying in the smelly suite the first night and they managed to move us over to the same category the next day. Their website also advertised amenities (like a powder room in our suite category) that was not included in the first suite, or an airport transfer (that they clarified upon inquiry did not apply to travel agent bookings). They also advertised in-suite check-in that didn't happen. The king-size bed was two twin beds pushed together that did not include a mattress topper so had a noticeable gap. This was fixed upon request. Again, lots of things that needed to be requested, which wasn't exactly the anticipatory luxury standard we expected. A transfer to Four Seasons should be an improvement.
Berlin needs better 'luxury' options. The Waldorf and Ritz-Carlton are not good enough. And the standard Marriott (next-door to Ritz-Carlton) is a scam (lots of pick-pockets.)
This makes me sad. RF ran a great operation with Hotel de Rome. FS makes everything bland these days
Just to be clear, Rocco will maintain ownership?
Maintain ownership? Rocco Forte never owned the Hotel. Gruppo Statuto is the owner.
So Hotel de Rome is in Berlin? Asking for trouble
Just like the Hotel de Russie is in Rome.
I stayed here last year for a night. Nice hotel but wasnt quite as great as other Rocco Forte properties I'd stayed in such as the de la Ville in Rome which was fantastic. Good bones, nice big rooms. Will be interesting to see what Four Seasons can do to the place. Good location walkable to a lot of sights.