The history of the Kempinski Family in Berlin began in 1872 or 1873, when Berthold Kempinski, a Posen-born entrepreneur, opened the wine store “Kempinski”, complete with a sampling counter, at 178 Friedrichstrasse. The store soon became a popular venue, relocating to number 25, Leipziger Strasse in 1889 and expanded with a large luxury restaurant between 1906 and 1907. In its heyday as Berlin’s most famous restaurant, Kempinski employed some 250 chefs, serving up to 10,000 guests on some days. As Berthold and Helene Kempinski had no sons, their daughter Frieda’s husband, Richard Unger, entered the small company M. Kempinski & Co.. Richard proved to be astute and was largely responsible for the company’s continued success. Berthold retired and the company became Richard’s, even though the name was retained. In 1912, Richard opened a select delicatessen on the corner of the Krausestrasse and Friedrichstrasse. Then, as the Kurfürstendamm street began to enjoy more popularity, Richard bought and managed a restaurant at Ku’damm 27. In 1928, M. Kempinski & Co. also took over the management of the ‘Haus Vaterland’ on Potsdamer Square and introduced a sensational new concept - entertainment gastronomy – the likes of which Berlin had not seen before. After success, however, came sadness. In 1938, Richard Unger and his family emigrated to the United States of America to escape the war. Unfortunately, the Restaurant at Kurfürstendamm 27 was destroyed in a fire shortly before the war ended and all his other properties were destroyed by bombings. However, the Kempinski name was destined to survive and, after the war ended, Dr. Friedrich W. Unger, Berthold’s grandson and Richard Unger’s son, returned to Germany.

The famous ‘Kempinski Ecke’ on the corner of the Kurfürstendamm and Fasanenstrasse, which had housed the Kempinski restaurant and delicatessen, now became the site for a hotel, which opened its doors on 29 July 1952. It was Europe’s most modern five-star hotel and became renowned for its innovations – for example, building an indoor swimming pool. For over 20 years, the Kempinski Hotel Bristol Berlin remained the only luxury hotel in all of western Berlin.

The original Hotel Adlon, conceived, owned and managed by Lorenz Adlon, first opened on October 23, 1907. Kaiser Wilhelm II, who paid an annual retainer to guarantee rooms for personal guests year-round, was its first and most loyal guest. It quickly became the rendezvous for the world’s Royals, politicians, and cognoscenti. Despite surviving World War II, the original Hotel Adlon was destroyed by fire just days later. The Adlon family refused to lend their name to another hotel unless built on exactly the same site, but gave their blessing to the new and equally spectacular Hotel Adlon Kempinski, which opened on 23 August 1997. So great was the public interest that daily tours of the property were arranged for a small fee and all proceeds were donated to Berlin charities.

The origins of the Heiligendamm seaside resort, which is the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm today, date back to 1793, when the hitherto unknown English fashion of bathing in the sea was “imported” to Germany. Duke Friedrich Franz I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was advised by his personal physician to bathe in the Baltic Sea for the sake of his health. In doing so he started a trend unbroken to this day. Heiligendamm was Germany’s first sea spa and it became one of the best addresses for European aristocracy and high society. Many famous people such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Marcel Proust, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Field Marshal Blücher, Queen Luise of Prussia, Wilhelm von Humboldt and Tsar Nicholas I spent their summer holidays here. In the 1950s, the Kurhaus and the Grand Hotel, formerly private residences, were turned into a “Workers’ Sanatorium”. In 2000, construction and renovation, in close cooperation with the German Heritage Council, was begun and the resort reopened in 2003.

Situated on Alster Lake, the luxurious Atlantic Hotel opened in 1909 and with its innovative technological facilities soon became the ‘home away from home’ for passengers of the Hamburg-America shipping line. The Atlantic Hotel celebrated its opening on May 2, 1909 with a gala dinner, to which only Hamburg's most exclusive high society was invited. Franz Pfordte, a world-famous economist, closed his famous wine tavern ‘Am Plan’ and became the restaurant manager. Both he and his head chef Alfred Walterspiel were responsible for ensuring the success of this extraordinary social event. On the first Friday after the opening, the hotel was fully booked for the first time; a steamer from Hamburg-Süd and one from the Hamburg-America line brought 240 first class passengers to the hotel. Today, the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski continues to welcome guests and maintains its ties to the grand ocean liners.

The Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch was once a Baroque hunting lodge, which was extended and converted into a hotel at the turn of the century. Built in the beginning of the 15th century, the Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch Frankfurt was originally known as “Krayenbruch”. In 1586, Knight Sebastian of Heusenstamm built the “Gravenbrucher Hof” on the same spot. Before becoming a restaurant, the building was used as a hunting mansion until the late 19th century. After adding a ballroom and a few guest rooms in 1907, the hotel was nearly completely destroyed during heavy bombing in 1943. Renovated after the war by the owner, Rudolf Graf von Schönborn, the restaurant re-opened in 1953. In the mid 1960s a new hotel wing was constructed, and in 1967 the first guests moved in. Since 1976 the complex of buildings is under Kempinski management and officially re-opened in December of 1980.

Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden was originally built in the early 18th Century by August the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, for his mistress, Countess Anna Constanze von Cosel. However, when she fell out of favour and was sent to the Stolpen Citadel, he repossessed the palace, built at the height of the Saxon Baroque, and made it the residence of the Crown Prince of Wettiner. The building was destroyed in a bombing raid during World War II and only the ruins remained standing for the next 48 years.

Between 1993 and 1995 the palace was carefully reconstructed and many original features, including the stucco work, baroque walls and staircases, and cellars were faithfully preserved as well as the fountains in the courtyards. The Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski reopened in grand style on March 31 1995 and is once more a magnificent palace welcoming guests in time-honoured tradition.

The ceremonial opening of what would later become the Kempinski Hotel Falkenstein Königstein took place in the year 1909. The event was a highly social occasion for high ranking German officers in Königstein - Falkenstein. Even Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II was present at the ceremony. Six buildings, constructed in an English country house style, accompany a central neo-classical building. This arrangement of seven buildings forms a U-shape around a large park of several acres. This beautiful park, which still impresses visitors today with its great views, unique setting and lovely old trees, was designed by Heinrich Siesmayer, a landscape architect of great renown who also designed the famous Frankfurt Palmengarten (palm garden) and the Spa-park nearby Bad Nauheim.

The picturesque Schloss Reinhartshausen in Eltville near Frankfurt was the seat of the knights of Erbach between 1189 and 1275, followed by the knights of Allendorf, who presented it to the Langwerth von Simmern dynasty in 1797. In 1801 the fort was torn down and replaced with a castle. Princess Marianne, daughter of King Wilhelm I of Holland, acquired the castle in 1855 and transformed it into the historical gem that Schloss Reinhartshausen Kempinski is today. Princess Marianne married her cousin Prince Albrecht of Prussia and bore him five children. However, Prince Albrecht embarked on numerous liaisons at court and it was only when Princess Marianne began her own affair with her former coachman, Johannes von Rossum, that Prince Albrecht agreed to a divorce in 1849. He forbade Princess Marianne to be in either Prussia or Schlesien for more than 24 hours at a time. Supremely indifferent to these restrictions, Princess Marianne established herself at Schloss Reinhartshausen, where she acquired many works of art, amassing a fine collection of some 600 paintings and sculptures, many of which can still be seen at the hotel. Schloss Reinhartshausen became a cultural centre of the Rhine area and the castle was always full of life and excitement with the many guests whom Marianne encouraged to visit as part of her ‘salon’. Marianne died in 1883 and the castle passed through the hands of different owners down the years.

Prince Friedrich of Prussia, son of the last crown prince, converted the central part of the castle into a hotel in 1959. After a major restoration and extension, the castle became a five star luxury hotel in 1991. Kempinski has been managing the property since 2001.