History
Our Hotel Eisenhut is located in the center of the historic old town of Rothenburg. Equipped with 75 rooms, restaurant, bar, modern conference and historical banquet rooms as well as a winter garden, panorama terrace and beer garden, it’s far more than a simple inn.
The rich history of this hotel captivates every guest, from abroad and from Germany itself. In 1890, Georg Andreas Eisenhut opened a wine tavern to sell the wines from his vineyards in the Tauber Valley. Since he had no male heirs, he left the “Gasthaus Eisenhut” to his son-in-law, Johann Andreas Ploss.
In 1924 it was again a son-in-law who inherited the hotel. Georg Pirner and his wife Paula Pirner brought the hotel into the ranks of the best in Germany and earned it a true international reputation as a thriving place frequented by prominent personalities, nobles and politicians. Since that time, these have included personalities such as Mario Adorf, Heiner Lauterbach, Gert Fröbe, Curd Jürgens, Heinz Rühmann, Burt Lancaster, Paul Hindemith, Svatoslav Richter, Gideo Kremer, Herbert Grönemeyer, Art Garfunkel, Erich Maria Remarque, Erich Kästner, J. Mario Simmel, Winston Churchill, Theodor Heuss, Willy Brandt, Franz Josef Strauss, Walter Scheel, John McCloy, Sir Alfred Ramsey, G. Rockefeller, William Randolph Hearst, Malcolm Forbes, Rezah Pahlevi, Prince Naruhito Hironomiya (heir to the Japanese throne), Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, Queen Sylvia of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, as well as numerous members of the European nobility and important artists, industrialists and politicians.
Four patrician buildings from the 15th & 16th centuries shone out as the first structure on the square and as one of the first hotels with running water and electricity. The era of grand hotels had arrived in Rothenburg. Each room was and remains unique. With her own very personal style, Paula Pirner made each room over into a truly unique space. Antiques and period furniture in different designs adorn each room. From floral carpets, marbled bathrooms to tasteful wallpaper – no two rooms are the same. Not to forget the striking and unique view out over the Tauber Valley.
In 2006, the Hotel Eisenhut became part of the Arvena Hotels group. The family-run hotel chain continued to manage the gem in Rothenburg entirely in the spirit of the Pirner family. Modernity was introduced by adding a winter garden and two modern conference rooms and by extending the terrace. To this day, nonetheless, the historic style has been preserved with the modern conveniences. Each room remains one of a kind, renovated with great sensitivity and without distorting the charm of this unique hotel.
In 2007, the rear facade of this listed building was restored and given balconies. The house facade, also a protected monument, was lovingly restored in 2009 and 2010. The elements of the patrician buildings now shine forth in fresh splendor, catching the eyes of all who wander through the center of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
We have set ourselves a high standard, which applies not only to the friendliness towards guests or the quality of food and drinks, but also to the preservation of a special history in a beautiful guise.
The
Covid pandemic forced the Averna Group to give up the hotel with a heavy heart,
which led to the brothers Andreas and Christian von Oven taking it over in
spring 2021. Since then, they have been helping to restore the hotel to its
former glory step by step and with a great deal of tactful sensitivity. In all
the restoration work, the Eisenhut charm rests squarely in the foreground and
is retained in all parts of the building.