Inside the new £179-a-night four-star hotel in Germany that used to be a Nazi bunker
The skyline of Germany’s industrial city Hamburg bears the traces of the Second World War.
During the continuous strategic bombardment in 1943, a significant part of the city was left in ruins and tens of thousands of people were killed.
In the years following the war, much of the city was rebuilt. The surviving buildings bore the traces of a painful period in Germany’s history.
One of the structures that survived the bombings was St. It was Pauli Bunker. standing for eighty years and now a protected monument.
One of the two ‘anti-aircraft towers’ in Hamburg, St. The Pauli Bunker was built by prisoners of war in just 300 days in 1942 and protected citizens from air raids.
The bunker, also known as the Flakturm IV Hochbunker (literally ‘high bunker’), was one of the largest bunkers built in Hamburg.
The building was designed to house 18,000 people, but it is believed that as many as 25,000 people took refuge here during air raids in the summer of 1943.
At the end of World War II, there were 1,051 bunkers in Hamburg; this number was higher than in any other German city. Today, there are still around 650 shelters remaining, most underground or underground. hidden behind residential buildings.
One of the two ‘fireplane towers’ in Hamburg, St. The Pauli Bunker was built by prisoners of war in just 300 days in 1942 and protected citizens from air raids.
A pyramid-like shape was added to the existing high-rise shelter, creating a new ‘mountain road’ and roof garden with views over Hamburg.
Reverb by Hard Rock, a four-star hotel, opened in July 2024 and spans five new floors.
After the war, the building was planned to be demolished, but these were scrapped and the building has remained a symbol of the city ever since.
St. The Pauli Bunker served a variety of civic purposes, including hosting Germany’s first television broadcast in 1950 and later becoming a venue for music and nightlife.
In 1946, windows were installed in response to post-war housing problems, creating a series of two-bedroom apartments that were lived in until the 1970s.
The structure was significantly expanded in a project worth millions of euros. Since 2019, the building has been expanded with five new floors and transformed into a contemporary culture and entertainment complex.
A pyramid-like shape was added to the existing high-rise shelter, creating a new ‘mountain road’ and roof garden with views over Hamburg.
Reverb by Hard Rock, a four-star hotel, opened in July 2024 and It expanded over five new floors.
The project aims to transform the Second World War bunker into a sustainable and green landmark.
A memorial to the victims of the Nazi regime and World War II is part of its new design, ensuring the past is not forgotten as the building is reborn with a new purpose.
NH Hotel Group made plans for a luxury hotel in 2019, with the hotel originally planned to open in 2022. Despite things running behind schedule, Hard Rock Hotels’ Reverb finally opened its doors in July 2024.
Image: View from the window of the shelter building, which has been converted into a park and entertainment complex
Rooms at Hamburg’s Reverb start from £98.22 per night for a classic room, rising to £179.20 per night for a king room.
St. Pauli Bunker (pictured) has stood for eighty years and is now a protected monument. Scroll to see the building before and after renovation
Rooms at Hamburg’s Reverb start from £98.22 per night for a classic room, rising to £179.20 per night for a king room.
Built during the darkest period in Germany’s history, the St Pauli Bunker has now been given new life.
The bunker forms an important part of Hamburg’s history, and its heavy concrete walls and maze-like corridors are a reminder of the building’s past.
The building’s multi-purpose space acts as a monument and symbol of resilience and renewal, encouraging visitors to engage with its history.
