Cologne is one of the most interesting cities in Europe. The German city boasts amazing private art galleries including Karsten Greve which currently features an exhibition of works by Gideon Rubin and Galerie Buchholz, as well as some of the most important public collections through the spectacular Kolumba and Ludwig Museum which hosts one of the best European collections with works by Alexander Calder, Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Pablo Picasso among other luminaries. The city’s medieval Catholic Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), is the third-tallest church and tallest cathedral in the world, another architectural gem to visit. But where is it best to stay either for a business trip or as a couple? KONCEPT HOTELS of course, the best in Cologne.

KONCEPT HOTELS, art a boutique group of excellent properties in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Alongside hotels in Bern, Siegburg, KONCEPT HOTELS in Cologne feature three amazing locations, Josefine, International and Zum Kostbaren Blut offering the best, guests can expect.

The supporting pillars of the brand are strong, each property is aligned with sustainability, digital and local roots. For this brilliant strategy, the brand was awarded the Digital Leader Award in 2018. Each KONCEPT HOTEL has its own theme that is authentically anchored in the setting of the urban environment.

This strategy pays off and numerous opinion formers, art lovers, photographers, artists and influencers have stayed and loved KONCEPT HOTELS attracted by the beautiful design, the easy access and the convenient locations of each property. Under the term “Fairesponsibility”, KONCEPT HOTELS are guided by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and have already published their first sustainability report in 2019.  

KONCEPT HOTEL Josefine is located in the Clouth Quartier, in the middle of Cologne’s traditional Nippes district, an area for the locals with authentic and great boutiques, interesting pubs, cafés and which go beyond touristic highlights. KONCEPT HOTEL International, on the other hand, is right in the heart of Cologne: between the Vringsveedel and the old town, the Rhine and Barbarossaplatz, and with a direct view of the cathedral. From this location, there’s easy access to the centre of town and the river.

While KONCEPT HOTEL International today celebrates the city’s multiculturalism, KONCEPT HOTEL Josefine celebrates female empowerment and is an homage to women. The name is a reference to Josefine Clouth, the wife of Franz Clouth, founder of the Clouth Gummiwerke, a rubber goods-making factory born in the 19th century, which today hosts the hotel. During her lifetime, Josefine took over the business as a courageous businesswoman and is known for her commitment to her employees. Her achievements, and those of many other women, are honoured in the hotel and instilled through artistic portraits, and multimedia installations.

These gorgeous and modern-feel locations were developed with the Zurich-based creative agency for brand development Map Boutique Consultancy and the interior designer Rosa Badenes, founder of  rbarchitektur. Badenes specialises in highly designed hotels, restaurants and corporate locations and she added a strong attention to details to the aesthetics of each place. The rooms feature all modern amenities from eco-sources coffee capsules to sustainable toiletry products, smart TVs, comfortable cushions and anti-allergic bedding, a safe and a sofa. Vibrant colours, excellent vistas, terraces and large spacious seating areas and showers will make your stay very pleasant.

Martin Stockburger, Owner and Director of KONCEPT HOTELS talks to Art is Alive: “We are convinced that through our slogan which we live by and realise each day as best as we can, the combination of “digital, fairness, and local”, we address a steadily growing audience for whom these pillars are equally important. We focus on an (almost) 100% digital guest journey, we lead on ecology and sustainability in all areas, and feature attractive locations with an easy and direct access to surroundings, while also honoring the locations thematically through art, design, furniture and multimedia”. 

Art and “the extraordinary” play an important role in all the hotels. At KONCEPT HOTEL International, art was part of the overall concept from the very beginning and was integrated fully. Martin explains: “We are less interested in big names or names renowned in the art world. Rather, we focus on authenticity or on local references. Sometimes there is no need for an artist in this sense: for the hotel Josefine, we were looking for an object that symbolises the connection between people, countries and cultures. In the end, I found a huge zeppelin myself at a small local dealer, which now hangs on the ceiling of the lounge.” Here, guests will enjoy fantastic lighting installations, there, beautiful sculptures in the common area to relax, and enjoy. “Art in our hotels is not static: currently, for example, corridors at KONCEPT HOTEL Josefine are being redesigned by Sabela Garcia Cuesta. The Spanish artist, who lives in Hamburg, is a “global working nomad”, she stands up for the rights of other women and as a strong woman, thus perfectly embodies the philosophy of our brand. She will imminently start paintings the walls in November 2022.”

Martin, a passionate about his job and design, explains that there’s no strict rule when it comes to finding art pieces for the various hotels. His approach is more organic and based on feelings: “if we discover something that fits one of our houses, we see if we can integrate it and if a cooperation is possible. We are not proactively looking for art and artists, rather, when we find them, we let ourselves be inspired…”

Martin had two questions when he founded KONCEPT HOTELS in 2017: How can we help solve the problems of the hotel industry? And how can we as a young hotel company make contributions to the United Nations’ big Sustainable Development Goals?

The spaces celebrate and guarantee a holistic and sustainable operation. By looking toward the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2016, KONCEPT HOTELS do not define corporate success solely by means of key business figures. “We instead measure ourselves against the goals of the German Sustainability Strategy and the Open Knowledge Foundation funded by the European Union.” Martin continues. This is changing the game as it places protection of the earth and sustainability at the centre of everything KONCEPT HOTELS does. “We are firmly convinced that this radical approach is imperative in order to contribute to reducing emissions and thus the harm and burden on the environment. Nevertheless, people who expect to use 15 towels a day and would like to have all information printed out on paper can be lost with our approach. We still have a lot of convincing to do.”

But what are the Green initiatives implemented by KONCEPT HOTELS to protect the planet in more concrete terms? Through the consistent use of smart technologies, resources are preserved: paper is hardly needed, many employees work online in a home office and thus do not consume energy to come to a location-bound office every day.

Secondly, the use of sustainable materials, from organic soap to sustainably produced toilet paper, the printed laundry bag from an integrative workshop and given to guests as a gift to take home, to the use of ecological energy sources and electricity from renewable sources.

KONCEPT HOTELS uses existing properties, which are then put to a new use; in new buildings, attention is paid to ecological construction methods and the lowest possible energy consumption. As a matter of principle, local service providers are used whenever possible.

Most notably, for every booking made via the website, KONCEPT HOTELS save one square metre of nature, right on their doorstep: on the edge of the Swabian Alb, sometimes also named Swabian Alps in English, is a mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast. Under the motto “Hotel for Nature”, the group is restoring a meadow area that was previously intensively used as grassland and here by preserving the natural landscape.

“It is our firm goal to continue on the course we have set, to further intensively address and expand the pillars we have set. The future will show which ideas and possibilities will continue to blossom. In any case, we are open to everyone and everything that helps and inspires us to realise these concept even more powerfully.” Martin explains about the future plans for the collection of remarkable KONCEPT HOTELS.

As the fourth largest city in Germany, Cologne has a lot to offer in terms of culture and history. The famous cathedral, the historic old town, the Ludwig and Wallraf-Richartz museums or the Chocolate Museum are just a few suggestions for a short trip or longer stays. Every “Veedel” (district) holds art in a variety of forms: from wild graffiti to countless galleries that give the local art scene a platform to emerge and breathe. 

As the oldest art fair in the world, Art Cologne, draws some of the most important galleries next week, including Michael Werner and Sprueth Magers, with vernissages, parties and soirées every night of the week, KONCEPT Hotels offer the best stay. With impeccable design, comfortable amenities, wonderful views and friendly-spaces, KONCEPT Hotels truly make for the perfect experiences in Cologne.

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