Früher: Villa Minerva

Previous names: Villa Minerva, Esplanade Hotel

Today: Hotel Esplanade

Year built: Before 1909

History/owners until 1945: Villa Minerva appeared in an advertisement in 1909 as an annex of J. Wilke’s Konditorei und Café. It read: J. Wilke’s Konditorei und Café, corner of Wilhelmstrasse and Putbusser Strasse on the way from the landing stage to the hunting lodge with annex Villa “Minerva” House I. Rank. Wilhelmstrasse, located directly on the landing stage, recommends its modern rooms with large verandas, lake and forest views, at reasonable prices. Pre- and post-season discounts. Cheap tourist accommodation. J. Wilke

Two years later, the house was already listed in the Binz guide (1911) as Hotel Café Minerva with a new owner: Hotel Café Minerva Wilhelmstraße, located directly on the landing stage, 35 comfortably furnished rooms with balconies and sea views. Electric lighting in all rooms. Own pastry shop in the house. Altrügensche wine bar – wine shop. Owner: Emil Hansen

In the golden 1920s, Wilhelm Krause from Berlin (from around 1920) took over the hotel and gave it a new name. It can be assumed that the name change was due to his former place of work, as can be read in an advertisement: “Krause’s Esplanade Hotel. Esplanade Restaurant. Esplanade Bar. First-class hotel on the landing stage at the corner of the beach promenade. Car garage. Telephone 38. Owner: Wilhelm Krause, former director of the Esplanade Hotel in Berlin.”

In the mid-1920s, the Esplanade Hotel was run by the Colmsee-Gieseke family, who also ran the Colmsee Hotel in Binz. The 1925 Binz guidebook “Praktische Winke” stated: Esplanade Hotel at the landing stage, telephone 38, corner of the beach promenade, pastry shop – bar – house chapel, boarding house prices from 7 marks and Colmsee Hotel, beach promenade 7, telephone 41, top-class boarding houses, renowned for good cuisine. Management: Colmsee-Gieseke

Later, it was still a prestigious establishment with first-class cuisine and a pastry shop, according to an advertisement from 1933.

GDR era: During the GDR era, the building was used as a residential building, among other things. It was also home to the legendary “Hafenbar,” a night bar.

After 1990: The bar continued to operate in the early 1990s. The room catalog of the FVV Binz und Umgebung e.V. (1992) stated: Dance bar and restaurant “Esplanade,” Hauptstraße 23, open daily from 9 p.m. Today, the Hotel Esplanade with its rooms and suites belongs to the adjacent Aparthotel Rialto.

Current use: Hotel and business

Photos: Boy Collection, Binzer Bucht Tourismus Collection, Lutz Grünke

Text: Binzer Bucht Tourismus