Construction project Archive • Ringhotel Forellenhof

The path to opening our wellness area

challenges, moments of success and the outlook

Sometimes things turn out differently than you romantically imagine. Originally, we had imagined that the new construction of our hotel wing, including the wellness area, would be completed with a big celebration and an official opening week. Cutting the red ribbon and proudly presenting everything. And preferably a week before the first guests moved in. The final touches should have been completed by then, the saunas should be steaming and the scent of fresh flowers should permeate the new area. But as is so often the case in life, things turned out differently.

As early as the middle of last year, it became apparent that our original schedule would not be feasible. We had to get used to the idea of opening in stages – a concept that was initially alien to us, but quickly seemed pragmatic and sensible. On October 15, 2024, the time had finally come: the first floor of our new building was put into operation. Just one week later, on 22 October, we were able to rent out the entire hotel building – with a great deal of improvisation – as this was the first time we were fully booked including the new building.

The days leading up to this partial opening were a tour de force. Our family and team worked late into the night to get everything ready. Even Nils personally screwed on televisions in the rooms until the last minute. The reception team kept spirits high and we quickly offered our guests free beer while they waited in the restaurant – a small gesture that not only put everyone in a good mood, but also underlined our togetherness during these hectic days.

Four partial openings and a tour de force

As soon as the hotel wing was ready for occupancy, we continued with our course and yoga room, which was officially opened just two weeks later. And finally, on December 9, our wellness area was opened to our hotel guests, at least in the indoor area.

The outdoor area around the outdoor sauna of our wellness landscape was another two weeks away, as the final touches to the sauna and the surrounding facilities were still taking time. This delay was bitter, but our primary goal was to offer our guests an unforgettable experience – especially at Christmas time. We worked together as a family to get everything ready on time. Christmas was almost fully booked, and on New Year’s Eve we were even able to welcome all our guests in a fully booked house. It was an incredible feeling to see such a result after all the work.

An important milestone was reached last week with the official opening of our wellness area. It was quickly closed for another two half days, but that wasn’t the only challenge. While we were putting the finishing touches to the opening ceremony with politicians and the press, we noticed that our pool was suddenly half empty. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a crack in the pool but fortunately just a technical fault that was discovered in time to prevent any major problems. But our nerves were on edge.

Daily challenges in the new wellness area

With the opening of our wellness area, however, the real work began for us. After all, an area of this size brings new challenges every day. Which fragrances harmonize best with the relaxed atmosphere? How do we manage the lighting and timetables for the saunas? Which snacks go well with our treatments? The list of questions seemed endless, and in some ways it still is. New colleagues had to be trained, and everyday life constantly brought us new questions: where do you find this, how does that work, and how warm should the water in the pool be? And how do we prevent loungers in the wellness area from having to be marked as reserved with unsightly signs? Every day we solve small and large challenges and continue to grow together as a team – and as a family. Despite all the obstacles, we can say one thing with certainty: it’s working. Our guests are curious and looking forward to trying out our new area. Many have already become regular guests and have even checked in with us a second or third time in the short space of time. This positive feedback gives us the strength to keep going. Now we are waiting for warmer temperatures so that the rest of the outdoor wellness area can shine in all its glory. We will be back in spring with a final report and until then we wish you a cozy winter time and look forward to welcoming you soon.

Your Fuhrhop family and team

21. January 2025

An opening with obstacles

Construction project

-breathe, keep breathing –

Our new hotel wing is open. Step by step. The first milestone has been reached. But the road to this point was more than bumpy and yes, we had to breathe a lot.
On the official opening day and first occupancy by our guests, only 11 of 36 rooms were ready for occupancy. And not all of them were ready on time for check-in at 3 pm. Our wonderful housekeeping team released the new rooms one by one every half hour and we were able to proudly accompany our guests to their rooms. After all the stress and chaos, we didn’t want to miss out. And the feedback was simply fantastic. Bright eyes and proud owners with goosebumps.

The week after the opening was a real 24/7 week for us. Nils was up late into the night putting the last TVs on the walls, wiring and installing repeaters for the internet, while furniture makers, electricians and painters were also working late into the evening. And yes, sometimes guests had to wait a little while before they could move into their room. So a big thank you goes to everyone who showed so much understanding and patience during the opening. One week after the start, the last room was ready for occupancy. We were lucky, because we were fully booked on that date. Now I’m sure you understand the 24/7 working week. The pressure was on. Of course, the new rooms have made themselves felt in all areas – 36 additional rooms bring up to 72 more guests to the hotel. Crazy, we tell you!

But why was everything so tight in the end? It’s not as if we’ve been resting on our laurels for the last year. The supply chains in Germany are a disaster at the moment. We’re still waiting for the hairdryer delivery, which is put off again every week. The televisions? Only half of them arrived on time, so we had to look for another supplier two days before opening. And yes. Sickness absences among the various trades, rework and a construction plan that had to be meticulously executed down to the last detail caused many a pitfall.
Anyone who knows us knows that we don’t shy away from any task. We printed room numbers ourselves without further ado because only four fives out of 26 metal numbers could be supplied. With room numbers from 151 – 162 and 251 – 259, as well as 351 – 362, that’s bad, of course.
Oh yes, and then there was the new locking system, which suddenly could no longer be programmed.
We got creative, but at some point you wonder what crazy ideas you can come up with when you just have to make things work.

Oh, one more story. In passing, Nils tells us that he decided to take the first elevator ride himself. He probably didn’t think about the fact that it was neither TÜV approved nor tested. And to make sure it didn’t get boring, he decided to do it at 10 pm in the evening. In the elevator he remarked that he had no cell phone reception and that if the thing got stuck it would be a quiet night. He took it positively. He would finally have had some peace and quiet… It went well and the elevator now officially transports our guests to the various floors.
Special thanks also go to our incredible team. Overtime after overtime, endless commitment – without you we would have been completely lost.
Everything is now finished inside and the exterior work is progressing. Soon the terraces and balconies can be opened.

And hey, after the opening is before the next opening. From November 6, our classroom will open with yoga and fitness classes. There’s life in the house! But we’re also working late into the night to organize this. A 10 x 2 meter high modular sliding wall made of recycled teak is currently being built, behind which one or two surprises for the fitness classes will be hidden. Unopened, it offers an incredibly cozy ambience for wonderful yoga classes. By the way. Take a look at www.forellenhof.de/kursplan and come along for a free taster session. We look forward to seeing you.
Oh yes, and let’s move on, because it’s not over yet. While our guests are enjoying the new rooms, we’re working on the wellness area – everything has to be spruced up in time for the opening on December 9th and, well, that’s just over 4 weeks away. I’ll tell you how it is. We’ll continue to tackle every hurdle with full motivation, but we’ll put 10 crosses in the air when it’s finally January!

4. November 2024

Summer, sun, sunshine

Construction project

makes everything so much easier –

Summer is finally here and most people are very happy about it. We feel the same way. Terrace business is booming, the barbecue evenings are sold out and there’s live music in the brewery. What more could you want?

A finished building. And everything is running at full speed.
Anyone who has followed us for a while and read our adverts on Instagram, Facebook and in the newspapers will have noticed a change in the last few weeks. Initially, we always advertised an opening and completion date of summer 2024, and we were already referring to September as late summer. Now, however, we have to talk about autumn, even late autumn 2024.

Let’s be honest: summer 2024 was an ambitious target. Nevertheless, we always had a glimmer of hope that we would be able to start at the end of September. We gave it our all, but we now know that this target is simply not achievable and have already adjusted our advertising. With such a large project, delays are not uncommon, on the contrary. Those of you who are lucky enough to own a house that you have built yourself will certainly have had the same experience.

But that won’t affect the new building. On the contrary: just in time for the cold, grey weather, the relaxation lights will come on and sweating in the sauna will warm everyone’s spirits. The start of the winter wellness season couldn’t be more perfect.

And just because the opening is delayed a little, the tasks don’t get any less:

Three to-dos ticked off, five new ones are added. We have finally chosen the tiles for the wellness area. The loungers for the massage rooms have also been finalised and the wellness offer has been written. Why don’t you take a look inside? The rooms are already being built and the saunas have all been commissioned and planned. The cranes have all been removed and you have a beautiful view of the clouds again. At first you can’t wait for the cranes to arrive and now they’ve already gone and the joy is huge.

The underfloor heating has been laid on the ground floor and the screed has been poured. The walls have also been plastered and are smooth and bright. Lamps for the washrooms are currently being selected and hung on the ceiling in the evening over a beer. I tell you, you think you’ve found the perfect lamp, then you screw on a board, quickly mill in the lamp, lay 40 metres of cable, only to discover that it casts a totally stupid beam of light. So it’s all back to square one. But hey, we usually take it with a sense of humour.

However, other things happen that you can’t just laugh about and that make your stomach hurt. Anyone who knows us knows that we don’t like long discussions. Always solution-orientated, we act quickly. Very quickly. A friend of the family once described us as “mops on ecstasy”. Well, that fits. Well, but sometimes things go wrong when you do things quickly.

Anyone who has been on the building site in the last four weeks will have heard our monstrous heating system humming from the old festival hall. Unfortunately, it is no longer humming as it has not survived its use. It dried everything reliably until it was to be loaded back into the festival hall yesterday and unfortunately tipped over from the wheel loader. I don’t think we need to tell you how annoyed we were. At least she was able to complete all the relevant work beforehand. Let’s look on the bright side.

Well, so much for the last four weeks, which felt like four days. Everyone, put some good cream on and enjoy the sunshine, autumn won’t be long in coming.

Your Fuhrhop family

7. August 2024

We can no longer keep up

Construction project

B-What day is today?-

It’s been a long time since we’ve been in touch, and not because nothing has happened or because we’re not interested in keeping you up to date. We simply don’t have enough time to write down all the events that are happening here. We often think that we should take more photos and enjoy the whole thing more, but then the next call comes in, usually with an assignment.

But we don’t want to complain. We love what we do and every day we look at the new building with awe and sometimes can hardly believe what is being created – and at what speed. We celebrated the topping-out ceremony on Friday and finally the weather can no longer get in our way. How often have our lovely craftsmen stood in the pouring rain on the construction site in recent weeks?

The first bookings for the new rooms are trickling in via the website and on the phone and we are so grateful that there are so many curious people who, like us, are eagerly awaiting the opening. This will take place in mid-October. So if you still need a bit of wellness for the colder days in fall, book your room directly with us.

Now some facts about what happened:

We have a roof, and what a roof! Beautiful gables, elaborate constructions and a huge attic underneath, which, should we ever get bored, could certainly offer one or two treats for our guests. But for now, let’s concentrate on the planning so far.

The drywall work in the rooms has begun and yes, the rooms have been commissioned. Two weeks ago, we were able to take a close look at a sample room ourselves and are simply thrilled.We have tried to coordinate everything perfectly for you down to the smallest detail.The raw installations for the bathrooms have also been installed.To take this step, kilometers of pipes and cables had to be laid.And in all possible dimensions.Crazy, we tell you.
Thanks to you, we were also able to install the entire air conditioning system, including all the pipes. (Not that we need it in these autumn temperatures, but it’s there 😊 )

The first pictures of the wellness area have also arrived, as you can see at the beginning, and both the tiles and the furnishings have been selected. We have also ordered our future cosmetics line and are looking forward to offering you very special wellness experiences with high-quality products from Janssen Kosmetik from October. And hey, at least the wind can no longer blow through the building, as all the windows and almost all the exterior doors have now been installed. The huge window fronts in the wellness area make quite an impression.

There will be a 270° fireplace in the lounge area of the wellness landscape, which has also been selected and ordered. The electrics in the walls were completed this week and a large plastering team has arrived and is now completing its work.
The first shower sizes can already be seen in the wellness area and cabin sizes can already be guessed.The entire swimming pool technology has also arrived and been installed.

We have also decided to expand our sports and fitness offering even further.In addition to our great yoga offers, the company PTraining from Bomlitz will be moving in with us from October and will be available to you with various courses and a physiotherapist.

When I read through all this again, I’m amazed at the progress that has been made in the last few weeks and I’m sure we’ve already forgotten half of it.

We promise to do better and will now report back at shorter intervals with new events.

Best regards

Your Fuhrhops and team

2. July 2024

Spring fever or is it excitement?

Construction project

It feels like the final spurt.

Final spurt, that’s what it feels like every day. The birds are starting to chirp, it’s staying light for longer again and everyone is more radiant.
Yes; the warmer temperatures are good for us too, not just on the construction site, but also in our minds. Nevertheless, you often see us with slightly stressed faces at the moment.

It never stops. Mails after mails arrive in our inboxes and in every third one we have to make some kind of decision that is fundamentally important and can no longer be changed once we have made our decision. Big decisions, as you can already see. And there’s usually a bit of time pressure: “Please give me feedback by this afternoon” or “I need the final decision by Friday at the latest and you have to do this or that by then”. Yeah okay, no problem at all, because hey, you grow with your tasks, right? And so do we. Somehow. Every day anew.

But what does this mean in concrete terms for the construction and its progress? Anyone who is currently allowed to drive around Vogelparkstraße again due to the renewal of the cycle path will inevitably pass our hotel and the new building. And perhaps the new hotel building has been spotted and noticed: That’s quite something. And that’s exactly what we think every day when we walk across the construction site. The second floor is up, so we already have half of the new hotel wing, at least in the shell version.

Psst, shall we tell you something? It’s totally crazy, but you can already book a place in one of the new rooms. We have redesigned the booking tool so that we are now bookable for fall 2024. So if you want to be one of the first to enjoy the exciting new fragrance, book your room now.

A per fragrance. In the meantime, we have already arrived at detailed decisions such as which cosmetics brand should move in with us, which fitness equipment do we want to offer you, which fireplace goes where, which loungers do we need and with which specific spa offer do we want to give you a good time in the future?

Well, and not only that. As I mentioned at the beginning, the days are getting brighter again, which means that the season is starting again for us. The first weddings have already been celebrated, preparations for the big May spectacle at our farm are also in full swing, the brewery is open again and the terrace business is slowly starting up. So sometimes we really don’t know where our heads are at in the evening.
But, and this is the most important thing, the bottom line after a long, busy day and sometimes into the night is :

the absolute anticipation of what’s to come and the tingling in our stomachs when we see what’s happening in our “home” right now

If you want to keep up to date with all of this, please check back here from time to time or follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook and stay up to date.

Your Fuhrhop family and team

2. April 2024

The basement is ready, the pool can come.

Construction project

-A summer like we’ve never experienced before. –

Have you ever sat in a meeting with 7 trades that coordinate who coordinate who does what and when in a construction project, and who has to cooperate with whom? No? Neither have we. But this is exactly the meeting we are sitting in right now and heads are spinning. Architects, interior designers, sauna builders, room planners, ventilation and sanitary planners, electrical planners, bathroom builders etc. .

And with that hello and nice that you are again interested and reading our next blog post. A little Time has gone by and time definitely hasn’t stood still. There so much has happened in the last two and a half months and along the way we’ve managed the usual high season madness. Every free minute, besides the normal business, is spent on planning and execution of the new building.

While our dear wedding couples celebrated one of their days were celebrated with us, families and birthday parties were held, our birthday parties were being held, things were heating up on our construction site. A huge crane has adorned the side of our hotel grounds for a few months and tractor/container combinations with rubble, sand and concrete deliveries were and concrete deliveries lined up in the queues on the access roads. one. Perhaps the one or other local resident has this spectacle when passing by could observe. Since then has been closed, the volume of traffic here has tripled. traffic volume has tripled.

A construction site in full swing, a hotel in full swing and us and our team in the middle of it all. After digging a huge hole, the basement walls are now in place. A 10x 5 m hole in the middle for the pool is also ready. The tenders for the next floors are through and the new structural engineers will start this week to take over the site and get settled.

So much for what has happened directly on the construction site. But we are also well advanced in the planning and all around. Details such as shower heads, lamps etc. have been discussed, looked at and selected over the last few weeks. A lot of tenders have been made and discussions held. We are in the process of advertising our new building at trade fairs (yes, you can do that without having photos of it already).

On the photo you can see a pre-selection of fabric samples for the rooms. Yes actually we had to grow also there already far in the decisions. The rooms are planned so far and we are happy to show you the first architect photos of them soon. The rooms are unique and both bright, and spacious, but also cozy with lots of charm planned. A semi-open bathroom completes the overall concept.

In addition to the room and the new hotel building, the planning in the wellness area is also progressing with great strides. Currently, even the job advertisements for the wellness staff are already running. We are looking for masseurs, beauticians and physiotherapists. Together we will soon study the product range in the wellness area and we also want to make decisions soon.

With the new building we have also touched and rethought our entire hotel design and our external appearance. About 2 months ago we released our new logo and with it we implemented the first new designs on for example our stationery or the meeting pads. A new signage around the hotel with a new logo has been created and we are mighty proud of the results. It will still take a bit of time to gradually implement the new logo and design, but we are also currently working on this at full speed with various forces. Next, we will launch our new website and we are really looking forward to that as well.

You read, a lot has really happened and we have not been lazy. Quite the opposite. To do all this besides the “normal” seasonal business is not easy and sometimes we reach our limits. But the family supports itself and thanks to our wonderful team we managed the season well and still moved a lot on the construction site.

We will get back to you.

Until then, stay healthy and enjoy the colorful autumn.

Your family Fuhrhop with team.

18. October 2023

Construction start, a short construction stop and a lot of decisions and a lot to overthink

Construction project

Construction start, a short construction stop and a lot of decisions and a lot to overthink
– Our month in short –

At the end of last month we were so happy that construction had started and the diggers were shoveling properly, but less than a week later they had to stop, because part of the existing building still had to be demolished, …

22. June 2023