European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse The grand hotel luxurious and expensive dominates the prestigious intersection of Friedric Strasse and Unter Den Linden in East Berlin. By Carol i. Williams associated press at the prestigious Corner of Friedric Strasse and Unter Hen Linden in list Berlin the soviet him s Only hotel to earn Western recognition is one of the world s most luxurious. But the grand motels Iso Plush rooms a ind apartments Are Avail Able Only to the c carriers of t Onver Tihle c or venues such As dollars and Tew fast europeans will Brave the doormen s steely stares Tor a peek at the opulent Art Nouveau lobby like All businesses in fast Germany the government is the owner and it can smooth More than the sheets for its most valued c clients. The hotels Mercedes limousines Are waved through Border c controls while other Western travellers line up Lor the lengthy ordeal of passport checks and c currency declarations. Hotel Stalf Settle the details with the foreign ministry later. And with a Mere signature they can arrange a visa Extension or Western Bank Transfer tasks that take hours through the Normal bureaus v. Rhe grand opened in August 1r-&Quot&Quot a year later it was named by the new Yuk Jed i a adm i Lofils Assoc lation As one of the world s 2 h be-4 huh l the grand typifies the kid of Huvner i ast Germany wants with the wed. V. H dec to v in t. Pol of and f lung fire c Stor we Tern Coop ration to .h.�?��T�. Row Hanl i Unerv a sources he Lea a. .1 Lac t .i.es, l. .1 authorities Are resistant to Tarot or to to. We Haver. I in r. G Toh . E at r \ \ a to a a Quot a. Comdr a Deputy , Marti a Kalt a a. I i a. i c is and ode r la . A i. To venture with the i St do so out of Elt it. On. I a a a a by. V. E Are not that f mane ing for t oust Rue t on of the hotel was arranged by the japanese company Dogma which by it the grand. The Tad government has paid Oil the loan and the Holt i s profits Are channelled to it As reimbursement Kaske said the hotel will pay Tor with 10 years although its occupancy rate of less than 40 percent is Well below that considered a break even Point for Western hotels. Luxury hotel in the East the Well appointed lobby of the grand hotel. 1 he hotel draws and prominent visitors. Kates Range from the equivalent a it of $ i 0 .1 night for a Small single room to $2,000 Tor one of the two Penthouse suites. All 800 employees Are i ast germans who Are paid Munif cantly less than Western workers in similar jobs. I a National average for personal Iru me is about v�00 a month and most consumer serv i let jobs Pav Well below the average Gudrun Guslaur the hotel s pub tie relations dire to says exit la Sivitz is part of the grands att Rae lion for the Western businessmen who make up about it i pert ent of the guest pm. A it would it a foolish to t on Leann Liat is available Here Iid bet some people e an i afford she say showing Oft luxury suites with private saunas and handmade port Elam lamps. Him mis no apologies Over the luxury provided Tor the westerners in contrast with the Lustre at i Ommo Dation. Available Tor f ast germans Quot we built this hotel to be Able to offer a Good product on the International Market a Kaske said. A a e operate on the old t capitalist principle that when the t customer is Happy he buys 1 in said much of the initiative to build a luxury Hole m fast Berlin came from the foreign Trade Vitu als whose Western counterparts had c of planned of poor accommodation. A bile the grand i Lotel is uniquely ish Lor a c communist Enterprise with a 140-Label wine list and id indoor Orange Grove for communing with nature gue to c an still find a few reminders of Whu h Side of the Border they Are sleeping on. Dealing direct to Western cities is possible but the International Telephone available Are frequently engaged Tor hours. Fix edged Security men stand guard throughout the seven tier Tanum lobby but a few hard Turret s Are allowed in to the dim salons. Accompanying the full breakfast delivered to rooms on White Linen is an exotic imported Flower and a Dull morning newspaper the communist party s bar Herr be Fung. A West German businessman is to stays at the grand several a year says Quot its the closest thing to civilization one can find though it is very comfortable he adds Quot going outside is a Little like waking up from a Good february 22, 1900 stripes Magazine 5
