Leipzig (dpa/sn) - Construction work on the historic Leipzig luxury hotel "Astoria" can be resumed after a period of rest of around two years. The existing building permit from 2020 provides for the renovation and conversion of the former grand hotel in order to be able to resume hotel operations, as the city announced on Monday. The "Astoria" was opened in 1915 with more than 300 rooms as one of the most modern and luxurious buildings in the German hotel industry at the time. It was built in just two years according to plans by the architect William Lossow (1852-1914), who was also the spiritual father of the main train stations in Leipzig and Frankfurt/Main.
"It's nice that things are now continuing at this critical point in the city. We are in continuous good talks with the investor and hope that the project can now be implemented quickly. The people of Leipzig want the Astoria comes back to life," said Kathrin Rödiger, Head of the Office for Building Regulations and Monument Preservation.
The renovation work on the building was interrupted three times by construction stops. Reason were objections from a neighboring hotel operator. Originally, the former luxury hostel, which had been left to decay for decades after reunification, was supposed to be reopened at the end of 2020. The building is currently still in the shell state, the listed facade is being supported.
A meeting and conference hotel with at least five conference rooms, an 800 square meter banquet area and a small spa area is planned. The historic façade of the building in the immediate vicinity of Leipzig's main train station, with its wooden windows and roof construction, is to be retained. The investor did not provide any information about the amount of the costs.
Stars like Adele Sandrock, Enrico Caruso and Hans Albers once stayed in the hotel. In GDR times, SED greats like Walter Ulbricht and Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski lived in the representative hostel during the spring and autumn fairs. Louis Armstrong, Johannes Heesters and Herbert von Karajan were also guests there.
