Review: the art deco Hotel Reichshof, Hamburg

This is my review of the relaunched art deco Hotel Reichshof in Hamburg, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.

I wrote about Hilton’s new Curio Collection back in May.  They are copying Marriott’s successful Autograph chain, persuading independent hotels to become part of the Hilton marketing system whilst retaining their independence.

The Reichshof hotel only opened two weeks ago.  I was probably one of the first 100 people to stay when I was there 12 days ago.  At €47 plus 12,000 Hilton HHonors points for a ‘cash and points’ redemption, it was good value.

This is what you need to know about the Reichshof:

• it looks fantastic
• it is a bit of a disaster area at the moment

This was not a surprise.  The pressure to open a hotel before it is fully ready is obviously huge.  The pressure is even higher when the building fabric is ready but the soft stuff is not.  Let’s start with the good stuff.

Reichshof is situated directly outside the northern entrance to the main railway station.  You can jump off the S1 train from the airport and be in the hotel in around 3 minutes if you know the way.  Luckily it is offset slightly from the station entrance so you do not see the, ahem, ‘interesting’ characters who inhabit the area day and night.  The upside is that if you want KFC at 2am you don’t have far to go.

Here are some pictures of the lobby, restaurant and bar.  A huge amount of money has been spent refurbishing what was previously a dowdy Maritim hotel.

This is the bright and spacious art deco lobby, fully restored:

This is small bar in the lobby.  The photo above the bar shows the hotel when it first opened:

This is the lobby eating and drinking area, which spills out onto the pavement:

Following current hotel trends, the Reichshof has a small lobby shop where you can get a takeaway coffee, newspaper or drink:

One of the restored art deco details at the Reichshof, in the stairway (few guests would ever see this):

This astonishing wood pannelling can be found in the Reichshof hotel restaurant, where they also serve breakfast.  This was taken during dinner, with a lot of curious locals already keeping it busy.  As a Hilton Gold, breakfast is free.

This is part of the main bar and dates back to the original hotel.  The small casino has been replaced by a pool table.

More art deco detailing in the Reichshof bar:

A tribute to the founder himself:

It looks great, doesn’t it?

And it is.

If you can book yourself in for a stay in a few months time at the ‘cash and points’ rate of €47 plus 12,000 points, you’ll be getting a good deal.  Checking out the Hamburg Christmas markets in December and then retiring to the cosy wood pannelled bar is very appealing.

In Part 2 of this review, though, I explain why you shouldn’t stay there at the moment.

You can find our more about the hotel, and book, on this page of the Hilton website.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.