Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced earlier that it had entered into an agreement with Badriah Investments to develop a Hyatt-branded hotel within a 16th century castle in Baden-Baden, located in south-western Germany.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand Hyatt’s brand presence in Germany, while at the same time, restoring a local icon for the community to once again enjoy,” said Peter Norman, senior vice president, real estate and development for Hyatt in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“This hotel will add to our growing portfolio in Germany, bringing the authentic hospitality for which Hyatt is known to a beautiful region visited by high numbers of business and leisure travellers throughout the year.” 
The Neues Schloss Baden-Baden, a Hyatt Hotel will be the seventh Hyatt-branded hotel in Germany, joining Grand Hyatt Berlin, Park Hyatt Hamburg, Hyatt Regency Cologne, Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf Hyatt Regency Mainz, and Andaz Munich, which is currently under development and is expected to open in 2017.

“We are very optimistic about the strength of our future relationship with Hyatt,” said Fawzia Mubarak Al Hassawi, owner of Badriah Investments.

“We are immensely proud to work with Hyatt on this project to restore this beautiful castle.

“My father, the late Mubarak Abdulaziz Al Hassawi, was the visionary behind this project, and he wanted to revive this unique landmark to allow people to share in both the history of Neues Schloss and its vibrant future as a luxury hotel.

“We have no doubt Neues Schloss Baden-Baden will be warmly received by both the local residents and visitors to Baden-Baden.”

Built in the 16th century, the castle was the former residence of Baden’s margraves, military commanders that protected the borders of the Holy Roman Empire, and later, the summer residence of Grand Dukes of Baden.

The hotel will take its name from ‘Neues Schloss’, or ‘New Castle’.

Scheduled to open in 2018, Neues Schloss Baden-Baden, a Hyatt Hotel will undergo a transformation to restore the historic aspects of the castle, which will include 146 guestrooms, a bar and restaurant, a fitness centre and meeting space.

In addition to the historic castle, a modern extension will be added, which will offer guestrooms and private apartments, as well as a spa, pool and sauna area with views of Baden-Baden and the Black Forest.

The hotel will offer more than 590,000 square feet (55,000 square meters) of historic grounds and parkland.

Situated in the northern foothills of the Black Forest, close to the borders of France and Switzerland, Baden-Baden is known for its ancient Roman baths and thermal spas.

The spa town is host to Germany’s most famous horse race meeting, the Kurpark-Meeting, and is home to one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful casinos.

Baden-Baden is also a major year-round meetings and incentives and leisure destination.