Island of the Senses celebrated topping-out ceremony – Bautzener Bote

The view from the rooms and the restaurant glides directly over the calm waters of Lake Berzdorf, and after the sauna you can cool down directly in the refreshing water. That sounds too good to be true. But from the summer of 2018, guests will be able to enjoy exactly that in the "Island of the Senses" in beautiful Görlitz, the largest area monument in Germany. Now the noble "feel-good hotel" has already celebrated the topping-out ceremony with prominent guests such as former Minister of State Thomas Jurk (SPD), CDU General Secretary Michael Kretschmer and the Mayor of Görlitz Siegfried Deinege (CDU). Now the interior work of the 46 rooms and suites, the restaurant, the conference and wellness area begins.

"On our many trips around the world we have discovered many beautiful places. It has always been our dream to create such a beautiful place ourselves. We are now fulfilling this dream with the construction of the first hotel on Lake Berzdorf. We are creating a place here to unwind and offer our guests the opportunity to stabilize their inner balance with small accents in exercise, nutrition and a wide variety of applications," explains Ina Lachmann, who brought the hotel and wellness project to life together with her husband Henry Hedrich called.

Being situated directly on the 960 hectare lake, guests are surrounded by the wonders of nature at any time of the year. “The good water quality of Lake Berzdorf ensures many fish and a particularly high diversity of waterfowl. There are also no limits to sporting activities around and on the lake. The theme of water will also be reflected in our hotel. In keeping with the lake, we are building close to nature and the whole house will later radiate a maritime ambience. The colors sand and blue-grey dominate. The planned offer of the hotel includes, for example, relaxing yoga sessions by the lake in the morning, sound meditation with a view of the water and the possibility of renting equipment for water sports," says Ina Lachmann.

The island of the senses is also an ideal starting point for excursions. “The beautiful old town of Görlitz, only ten kilometers away, attracts with 4,000 individual monuments from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Gründerzeit periods, most of which have been extensively renovated. The city is rich in cultural events and also offers a wide range for families. Our hotel is also the perfect starting point for short trips to Poland, the Czech Republic, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Fürst-Pückler-Park and Upper Lusatia,” adds Henry Hedrich.

The island of the senses not only delights with its unique location near Görlitz directly on the lake. The hotel itself is also fantastically well thought out. “All 46 rooms and suites capture nature through a four meter wide glass front. The rooms on the ground floor even have direct access to the lake via a staircase. With a size of 40 square meters, the standard deluxe double rooms offer enough space and comfort to relax, even for longer stays. Our wellness suites surprise with details such as heated benches, balcony tubs or designer loungers,” reports Ina Lachmann.

Relaxation is also offered in the hotel's own spa area with lake view sauna, panoramic relaxation room and steam bath. To cool off, guests have direct access to the lake. There is also a wide range of wellness options with soothing massages and beauty treatments. In around four years, a 1,000 square meter public wellness area and 16 holiday homes will be added in the second construction phase.

In the first phase of construction, which will be completed when the hotel opens in summer 2018, a seminar room that can be divided up for up to 60 conference participants, a yoga and treatment room as well as a library and fireplace room are currently being built. Most of the rooms and the hotel's own spa area are reserved for hotel guests. This is not the case with the elegant "Lake Lounge Restaurant", where guests can enjoy the view of the lake through the completely glazed pavilion. "We are planning upscale, Mediterranean cuisine for up to 150 guests, appropriate to the location with a large selection of fish, rounded off with fine wines. Depending on their mood and weather, guests can enjoy themselves in the restaurant or on the spacious lakeside terrace. Sailors can moor their boat at the jetty and come into the restaurant from the water,” explains Henry Hedrich.

With the topping-out ceremony, the shell of the hotel is complete. "The next step is to put in the windows, then come the balcony supports and the substructure of the lakeside terrace and jetty will be completed. At the same time we start with the interior fittings: all cables and pipes are laid, screed is poured and the rooms are plastered on the inside and partly tiled. Then the wooden facade is attached. We also want to put on the green roofs before winter. From October there should be a first sample room. If everything goes according to plan, we will open the island of the senses in the summer of 2018,” concludes Ina Lachmann.

Further information: www.inseldersinne.de

Photos: meeco Communication Services / Franziska Märtig