During our visit to Bremen, we were able to spend 2 wonderful nights at the Radisson Blu.
The Radisson Blu in Bremen is located on a street that is very popular with tourists: the Böttcherstraße. It is about a 20-minute walk away from the central train station. Unfortunately, this is only the hotel’s back door. The main entrance is in the Wachtstrasse.
The hotel staff at the front desk greeted us very warmly. Even though it had just gotten 12, our room was ready for us to move in. We took the key card activated elevator up to the second floor, room 210.
The room
And there, waiting for us, was a large and friendly room with cosy furniture. The really very big bed (180 cm), without a gap between matrasses, granted us 2 nights of most relaxing sleep. An armchair and a desk completed the picture. We started using the free WiFi to work for a little while. The reception and the network speed were great.
I especially enjoyed the bathtub in the very clean bathroom. It’s always a personal highlight for me when a hotel bathroom comes with a bathtub. However, not even a single hotel so far had bubble bath to go with the bathtub. But, for the first time, I found conditioner as one of the complimentary cosmetic products in the bathroom. I was very happy about that.
The breakfast
The restaurant of the Radisson Blu Bremen, L.O.B.B.Y., can be found directly in the central entrance hall. On both days we had access to a rich breakfast buffet. In addition to coffee also tea, juices and even bubbly were offered. So nothing stood between us and a bubbly breakfast.
I cannot complain about the breakfast. From muesli to rolls to pancakes, everything that my tummy loves for breakfast. The cold cuts kept being refilled and the cheese selection was really great. Sweet spreads were plentiful, too, so our breakfast quickly turned into really tough decision making.
Something that was missing though, or perhaps I just didn’t see it, were special products for diabetics and allergy sufferers. I saw different milk options being offered, but unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the same for the bread and the spreads. A sweet way to end the breakfast was also provided. Muffins, cakes, yoghurt and fresh fruit topped off the meal.
Burger taste-testing at the Radisson Blu in Bremen
On the second evening, we tested the Burgers offered in the restaurant. We ordered a Chilly-Willy burger without a side dish and a L.O.B.B.Y. Burger with fries, plus a Hemelinger dark (beer). The burger was cooked to the point and very delicious. The service was fast and friendly.
Unfortunately, 2 hours later, the service was not quite as great. We and a larger group of people wanted to end the evening at the bar, but that did not meet our expectations. The waiters did not pay attention to the guests at the tables, so we had to walk up to the bar and order our drinks there. That made for a long and dry period for our group. Too bad, otherwise I would have had another beer.
The historical Hall of Heaven in the Radisson Blu in Bremen
A hidden highlight is the Hall of Heaven in the hotel, formerly house Atlantis.
The house Atlantis, which unfortunately was partly destroyed in 1944, was built in 1930/31 after designs by Bernhard Hoetger. In contrast to other buildings in the street, it was composed of steel and glass constructions. The supporting steel beams were bent in the shape of a barrel towards the roof. A utopian Atlantis was constructed. In addition to blue and white glass blocks, a lot of dark wood was used to create a harmonious impression.
The room saw a variety of uses until 1945. Firstly, it was a dance hall for expressive dance and later it became a museum for ancestor studies (a collection that aimed to show how the Nordic and American culture derived from the sunken Atlantis.).
When criticism by the national socialist press and demands to demolish certain parts of the building arose, Albert Speer obtained monument protection for the buildings in the Böttcherstrasse and thus prevented the demolition.
In October 1944, bombs destroyed almost the entire street. The Hall of Heaven and the staircase fortunately survived. Today, the Hall of Heaven is integrated into the hotel complex of the Radisson Blu in Bremen. The hall can be rented for events and visited on request.
A breath taking hall awaits
We got the key to the hall at the reception and walked through a glass door into the old building.
A spiral staircase leads up into the sky. 89 steps, round discs of white glass, lead upwards around the 3 pillars of the middle axis. The stairwell is illuminated by light that shines through the white and blue glass blocks into the interior. The view into the staircase is something special. Not only do I like the architecture, I am also in awe of the lighting and the light reflexes.
Once at the top, you enter the Hall of Haven, which is under a barrel-shaped dome of white and blue glass blocks. Only the light shining through the roof changes the hall into an almost unreal place, which spontaneously reminded me of a church. Perhaps this feeling was evoked by the fact that chairs were arranged in rows facing one side of the hall which resembles the altar structure of a very modern church. Not a surprise that weddings are held here, too.
Over a wooden staircase, you reach a small dome. When stood directly in the middle under the dome and whispering a few words, an acoustic peculiarity can be experienced. The words are amplified many times, and with ease can be heard in the entire hall. I cannot get enough of this effect and would have loved to just keep talking.
The room in the Radisson Blu in Bremen impressed me. A great place for events.
Address:
Böttcherstraße 2,
28195 Bremen
Promotion: The accommodation and breakfast were provided free of charge by the Radisson Blu as part of a travel blog event. My report corresponds to my personal opinion.
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