This Chic Berlin Hotel Marries Prussian Grandeur With Quirky Millennial Charm

Hotel Luc in Berlin’s central Mitte district is a designer’s delight. Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the 70-room, 22-suite boutique hotel is strategically positioned opposite the French Dom cathedral, showcasing the grandeur, elegance, and luxury of Prussian-era Berlin.

This central theme flows through the hotel’s design aesthetic, which is centered around a deep, sensuous Prussian blue and features a number of luxurious and modern touches, from the tongue-in-cheek photography that adorns the hotel guest rooms and corridors to the hotel’s unofficial mascot, the humble potato. (More on that here.)

We spoke with Moritz Helmholz, Quality Manager, Hotel Luc, about the hotel’s design inspiration and its nod to Prussian formality and charm.

Hotel Luc has a magnificent design aesthetic, centered around the Prussian blue that accents every corner of the hotel. Could you tell me a bit about the inspiration behind the hotel’s design ethos? Where did the idea originate?

Hotel Luc is part of Autograph Collection Hotels, which handpicks hotels that are intimately connected to the history and culture of their surroundings, and, in turn, become part of the locality’s fabric.

Inspired by one of the brand’s curatorial principles—“Sense of Place”—Hotel Luc confidently confronts its Prussian heritage. The hotel calmly and elegantly stages the fascinating juxtaposition of Prussian austerity and noble cosmopolitanism at the Gendarmenmarkt. As a common thread, this very tension runs through the interior, the sensual pleasures, and the philosophy of the house. With local ease, we reinvent the Prussian way of life for the zeitgeisty Friedrichstadt.

I loved learning about King Frederick the Great and his potato command of 1756! There are subtle nods to Old Fritz and his potatoes everywhere in the hotel—could you tell me a bit more about how this idea sprouted and why the decision was made to focus on the potatoes?

We stand by our Prussian heritage—but take it with a sense of humor. We are not a museum, but offer guests a gateway to history. We rely on free interpretations and play with the conflict areas of yesterday and today. Therefore, the potato is the perfect way to represent all these values. It is a simple product with an incredibly long history and a special significance in Germany. It combines the history of Frederick the Great, as well as Prussia, with modernity, which is reflected in the hotel. It is also a twist as Germans are ironically called German potatoes when trying to describe the typical German behavior.

How do you successfully weave potatoes into such an elegant and royal design aesthetic for the hotel? What challenges did this present? And how did you overcome them?

The first thing guests see when entering the lobby is a basket of potatoes, made exclusively for us from high-quality KPM (KPM stands for Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur Berlin and translates to The Royal Porcelain Factory) porcelain.

A QR code informs guests about the history of the potato and its importance for Hotel Luc. The basket sparks conversations where we take them on a short journey into the history of Prussia. While we accompany guests to their rooms, we show them various, partly hidden clues, which introduce the guests to the atmosphere and character of the hotel. It was challenging to give a special product like the potato a luxury touch, but we presented it in a gold color throughout the hotel’s artwork to make it special.

Are there certain design touches that guests may not otherwise notice that you can tell us about? Perhaps something very subtle but that adds to the overall feeling?

Friedrichstadt is one of the oldest city centers in Berlin. It follows the vision of the Prussian King Frederick I: planned on the drawing board as a modern city in a strict geometrical grid with generous paths and a central square of great importance, the Gendarmenmarkt with its central buildings. Prussian straightforwardness and clarity give the hotel order and timeless presence. We are the counter-model to chaotic Berlin, where guests can find elevated, yet understated elegance.

The design follows guidelines of symmetry and unity with genuine, high-quality materials. We focus on existing qualities, taking away rather than adding. The structure-giving pattern of the visual identity is inspired by the strict grid of Friedrichstadt. This grid is visible all over the hotel – from the shelves in the lobby to the pattern on the guestroom carpets.

What is it about Prussian blue, do you think, which makes it feel so luxurious? And how did you effectively balance the other color schemes with this blue, since it is so bold and commanding?

Due to its depth, it develops its self-confident effect and the subtle copper colors further emphasize this effect. In the past, it colored the uniforms of the Prussian military. Today, we dive into the deep blue to discover a world full of ambiguities. The deep blue color always has a special touch and is known as the color of the royals. As blue is the main theme color of KPM, it was a perfect match as well.

I love the artwork commissioned throughout the hotel. Can you tell me a little bit about the photoshoot juxtaposing the models dressed in 18th-century clothes against modern backdrops throughout Berlin? What was the inspiration and idea behind the shoot, and how do you think it complements and punctuates the overall aesthetic of Hotel Luc?

The focus was to combine history and modernity. The art is partly very spontaneous, an excerpt from life. Each image reflects three elements: a connection with Berlin, an object from the Prussian past, and something modern. As the interpretation of art is always different, the various shoots give guests the chance to interpret our hotel in their own way.

Finally, what is your favorite piece of art in the hotel—and why?

My absolute favorite is the Prussian soldier helmet. It is a reminder of the discipline and order of the past, and its beautiful decorations make it an absolute highlight of the lobby.