Gdanks
The Motel One in Gdansk is located in the middle of the city center and is situated on the northern half of Gdansk’s inner city island. It is the final measure of a revitalization project that includes new office buildings and restaurants as well as new public spaces next to the hotel. The design of the hotel was developed together and in close cooperation with Gdansk’s Office of Historical Monuments. In order to do justice to the history of the site, the original building cubature was adopted and given a modern interpretation. The hotel has two basement floors and seven upper floors and offers approximately 320 rooms.
Paris
Only 15 minutes away from the Eiffel Tower, a new trade fair area is being planned – in the “Parc Expo Porte de Versailles” in the middle of Paris. A Motel One will be built in the new development area, which is located directly on the “Peripherique” and has direct access to the new trade fair area. The architects Viguier from Paris are planning a closed glass façade facing the Peripherique and a loosened glass façade with stepped, green terraces facing the residential area. The hotel will include approximately 350 hotel rooms. The large roof terrace on the 8th floor offers views of the Eiffel Tower and will also be open to the public, thus incorporating the adjacent residential area. The building comprises eight upper floors, retail space on the first floor and technical space with ancillary rooms in the basement.
Vienna
The historic Herzmansky department store, which dates back to 1863, is located on Vienna’s shopping mile “Mariahilferstraße” and has already been remodeled several times in the past. Her the focus of use was always on the creation of inviting shopping areas. In the near future, however, the building will not invite customers to store, but to stay overnight: The department store is giving way to make room for a Motel One. To generate sufficient brightness in the guest rooms, the existing atrium will be supplemented by two more. A roof terrace will also be created on the top floor.
Bolzano
The Motel One in the heart of the old town of Bolzano is being built as a new building behind one of many historic facades of the Postgasse. The highlight of the new building are the two glass floors, which will be placed on the existing facade; the latter belonged to an Italian department store chain for several decades. The third floor is still oriented in its dimension to the old building, while the fourth is set back in the direction of Pfarrplatz for the realization of a roof terrace and is adjacent to the bar and breakfast lounge area. In the first floor of the building will also be realized a retail space separated from the hotel. Once demolition work is completed, construction will begin in April 2022. The opening of Motel One Bolzano is planned for fall 2023.
Antwerp
Antwerp is the Belgian answer to Copenhagen, on a smaller scale. Motel One is located in the middle of Antwerp’s city center, which consists of small individual commercial units. With its four floors, the hotel fits into the height development of the surrounding area and consists of two almost parallel structures that follow the street lines. The two blocks are located in a city block and complete the perimeter development with the two blocks. On the ground floor, there is an elaborately landscaped courtyard between the two structures, which steps down to the basement. The two wings are connected by the basement, which also houses the lounge, restaurant and meeting rooms.
On the first floor, a bar and lounge adjoins the hotel lobby, which has a large two-story air space to the lounge/restaurant in the basement, where a connecting staircase for the two uses is to be implemented.
Brussels
Directly on the central Place de Brouckère in Brussels, the Immobel Group is developing a city block with a cinema and a Motel One. The latter faces the square, with the cinema planned behind it.
For the construction of the hotel, six plots of land were combined and merged. The special feature of the project is the requirement to preserve the facades of the six properties. The design calls for the preservation of the facades with a new building and roof structure behind them. A total of 165 rooms will be built. The rooftop bar with an exterior terrace will offer a great view of Place de Brouckère from the 6th floor.
The hotel will be accessed via Place de Brouckère on the first floor. Retail spaces are also planned there, which will contribute to the revitalization of the square.
Rotterdam
Not only in Germany, but also in the Netherlands, more and more retail stores are closing. In Rotterdam’s city center, for example, an aging retail store with spacious storage areas is giving way to the possibility of converting it into a hotel. Together with Tenstone Developement, Boelens de Gruyter Ontwikkeling developed an appropriate concept that convinced the tenant Motel One. In addition to the hotel, three smaller rental units facing the pedestrian zone are to be built. A fitness center is planned for the largest of these complementary rental units, and a flexible use option for the two smaller spaces.
The new Motel One will therefore be located in the center of Rotterdam. In front of the hotel runs the highly frequented pedestrian zone of Hoogstraat, with various shopping facilities and restaurants. Within walking distance is the market hall, which was completed in 2014 and is well-known for Rotterdam. On the back side of Hoogstraat, facing away from the pedestrian zone, the main entrance of the new Motel One will be built. In front of it is a small park with Rotterdam’s adjacent Laurenskerk or “big church” – it is the only remaining medieval building in the city. Through the hotel’s main entrance, future guests will reach a manageable lobby with an adjacent reception. On the following four standard floors, 180 guest rooms will be realized. By forming a flat roof, the hotel will have a lounge with a surrounding terrace on the 5th floor. From here, there is a view of the market hall and the Rotterdam skyline along the Nieuwe Maas river spur. For the conversion into a hotel, the facade was demolished and the building completely gutted. The remaining reinforced concrete skeleton structure was extended by approximately five meters in the direction of the pedestrian zone and two stories were added. With the new natural stone façade and recessed circumferential window bands, the old building structure will hardly be recognizable. WBRE’s services in this construction project include overall tenant management. In cooperation with the developer and general contractor, we realize the optimal benefit for the tenant and implement the high-quality defined design specifications in parallel.
