The building at Kaiserdamm 27 was constructed in 1909 by the architect friends Conrad Heidenreich and Paul Michel, together with the neighboring houses at numbers 26 and 28. Both designed several buildings along Kaiserdamm and in the Westend district, significantly shaping the architectural style of the area. Their most famous surviving and restored work today is the Huth Wine Shop, located in Berlin-Mitte. The house on Kaiserdamm was originally home to doctors and architects.
In 1957, my grandmother founded Pension Mania on the 4th and 5th floors. With great creativity and resourcefulness, she furnished the first 14 rooms – and a piano in the hallway provided the backdrop for many cheerful evenings. Thanks to its proximity to the trade fair and Kurfürstendamm, the guesthouse quickly became a success.
After the Berlin Wall was built, the family left Berlin. Various tenants continued to run the guesthouse until I had the opportunity to take it over myself in 1982. With 12 rooms, a breakfast room and a lot of enthusiasm, I started my own business – initially under the name Pension Mania, later Pension Brandies.
Step by step, the rooms were modernized and equipped with private bathrooms. In 1987, Pension Brandies received three stars for the first time from the German Hotel Classification. During this period, my family moved to the United States for two years, and my aunt Evi continued to run the house with great dedication.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city saw a surge in visitors. In 1992, the reception area and breakfast room were moved to the ground floor – transforming Pension Brandies into Hotel Brandies, now featuring a 24-hour reception, lobby, and garden. In the following years, we gradually modernized all rooms and bathrooms.
The COVID pandemic brought great challenges for us as well. Thanks to our loyal team and government support, we were able to get through this time. Today, we are proud to welcome back many of our long-standing guests.
I would like to thank all our guests for their trust in our hotel. Together with my team, I am optimistic about the future of the Hotel Brandies.
Berlin, January 2024
Sibylle Korbmacher
