What Empire Riverside Hotel does

Empire Riverside Hotel is a privately-operated lifestyle and design hotel located in Hamburg's St. Pauli district at Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 97, directly on the harbor between the Reeperbahn, the Elbe, and the city center. Operated as the limited partnership Empire Riverside GmbH & Co. KG under Managing Directors Andreas and Patrick Fraatz, the property has run since 2007 with approximately 52 employees and comprises 327 rooms and suites across nine categories (Riverside, Deluxe, Upside, Riverview, Skyview, Juniorsuite Riverside, Juniorsuite Riverview, and Day Use), priced from €159 to €319 per night. The 20-floor bronze-clad tower was designed by British architect David Chipperfield, and the property carries a 4.6/5 Google rating from 6,851+ reviews alongside roughly 19,400 Facebook and 15,900 Instagram followers.

The hotel's commercial offering extends beyond rooms into three F&B venues — the 20th-floor Skyline Bar 20up, the waterkant fish restaurant with an open show kitchen, and the DAVID'S lobby bar — plus conference facilities, a Wedding Dream venue, a fitness and SPA area, and underground parking with 250 spaces. No proprietary technology is disclosed; the stack is entirely third-party, including cBooking and myhotelshop for room bookings, OpenTable for restaurant reservations, PayPal/Klarna/Concardis for payments, Revinate for email marketing, DialogShift for chatbot-based customer service, and an HERA email reservation bot. Marketing runs across Google Ads, Meta, Microsoft Advertising, and TikTok, with analytics through Google Analytics, Matomo, Hotelchamp, and The Hotels Network.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams anchored by room accommodations, supplemented by F&B, conferences and events (including weddings), themed RIVERstyle packages that bundle lodging with harbor cruises (via partner Reederei Abicht), musicals, and dining experiences, gift vouchers redeemable for stays and restaurant service, and ancillary fees for parking (€25 per 24h, rising to €29 from 1 September 2026), early/late check-in, pet accommodation, and spa. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the official website and phone/email reservations, supported by OpenTable and third-party booking channels, and the customer base is diversified across leisure tourists, business travelers, couples and special-occasion guests, and event planners.

Name

Empire Riverside Hotel

Legal name

Empire Riverside GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://empire-riverside.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Empire Riverside Hotel is a privately-operated lifestyle and design hotel in Hamburg's St. Pauli district, offering 327 rooms and suites, three F&B venues, and event facilities anchored by its harbor location and David Chipperfield-designed architecture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Accommodation

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110), Traveler Accommodation (7211), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Downtown Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lounge Bars & Hotel Bars (THAFAEAI), Rooftop Bars & Beach/Pool Bars (THAFAEAJ), Business & Corporate Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAE)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodation
• Food and beverage
• Conference and events
• Wedding venues
• Lifestyle hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Room Accommodations: Revenue from 327 rooms and suites across 7 categories (Riverside, Deluxe, Upside, Riverview, Skyview, Juniorsuite Riverside, Juniorsuite Riverview) with prices ranging from €159 to €319 per night. Also includes Day Use option for daytime-only stays.
2. Food & Beverage: Revenue from three dining establishments: Skyline Bar 20up (cocktails and beverages), waterkant (modern fish restaurant), and DAVID'S (lobby bar with fireplace lounge). Breakfast service at €29 per person.
3. Conferences & Events: Revenue from conference rooms and event spaces for business meetings and private events, including weddings (Wedding Dream).
4. RIVERstyle Packages: Bundled packages combining accommodation with dining, activities (harbor cruises), and entertainment (musicals). Examples include RIVERstyle Harbour View 2.0 (€555 per double room), RIVERstyle Candlelight (€889 per double room), and RIVERstyle Seasondreams (€439).
5. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers redeemable for overnight stays and restaurant waterkant services, sold through an online voucher shop.
6. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue from parking (€25 per 24 hours), early check-in (€40), late check-out (€50), pet accommodation (€30 per dog per day), and spa treatments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Empire Riverside Hotel operates a 327-key urban lifestyle hotel in Hamburg offering overnight accommodation across multiple room and suite categories, three on-site food and beverage outlets (Skyline Bar 20up, waterkant Restaurant & Bar, and DAVID'S), dedicated conference and event facilities, a wedding venue, and ancillary guest services including spa and fitness, underground parking, day-use rooms, and gift vouchers. The property combines accommodation, dining, and event hosting under one roof in the St. Pauli district.

Product overview

Empire Riverside Hotel is a lifestyle and design hotel in Hamburg's St. Pauli district, featuring 327 rooms and suites across nine distinct categories (Riverside, Deluxe, Upside, Riverview, Skyview, Juniorsuite Riverside, Juniorsuite Riverview, and Day Use), three restaurants and bars (Skyline Bar 20up, waterkant, and DAVID'S), conference and event spaces, a wedding venue (Wedding Dream), and a fitness and SPA area. The hotel's product portfolio is anchored by its panoramic harbor-view rooms ranging from 25 m² to 45 m², complemented by F&B outlets designed by architect David Chipperfield and RIVERstyle themed accommodation packages combining lodging with culinary and experiential add-ons. Additional services include underground parking, gift vouchers, and day-use room rentals. The hotel integrates with OpenTable for restaurant reservations, cBooking and myhotelshop for room bookings, and supports multiple payment processors (PayPal, Klarna, Concardis/credit card).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skyline Bar 20up: Hamburg's popular skyline bar with panoramic views over the Hamburg harbor
• waterkant
• DAVID'S
• RIVERstyle

Products and services

• Hotel Rooms and Suites Overnight accommodation across 327 rooms and suites in multiple categories (Riverside, Skyline, Familienzimmer, Superior, Deluxe, Suiten, and the PIER6 Suite) for leisure travelers, business guests, and event attendees in central Hamburg.
• Skyline Bar 20up Rooftop bar and dining venue located on the 20th floor of the Empire Riverside Hotel, offering panoramic views of Hamburg along with cocktails and light dining for hotel guests and the public.
• waterkant Restaurant & Bar On-site restaurant and bar at Empire Riverside Hotel serving meals and drinks to hotel guests and walk-in visitors in the St. Pauli district.
• DAVID'S In-house restaurant/outlet within Empire Riverside Hotel, contributing to the property's food and beverage offering alongside Skyline Bar 20up and waterkant.
• Conferences and Events Banquet and conference facilities comprising eight event rooms accommodating up to 470 guests, available for corporate meetings, conferences, private celebrations, and group events with on-site F&B.
• Wedding Dream Dedicated wedding package offering ceremony and reception venues at Empire Riverside Hotel, including accommodation for wedding guests and on-site catering arrangements.
• RIVERstyle Packages Bundled themed hotel experiences that combine overnight stays with curated food, beverage, and lifestyle inclusions (such as champagne, breakfast, and special amenities) sold as a single bookable package.
• Gift Vouchers Purchasable gift vouchers redeemable at Empire Riverside Hotel for overnight stays, dining, and on-site experiences.
• Day Use Rooms Short-stay daytime room use offered at the hotel for guests who need a room for part of a day without an overnight booking, typically between guests' check-in and check-out windows.
• Underground Parking Paid underground car park located beneath Empire Riverside Hotel, available to hotel guests and visitors.
• Spa & Fitness In-house Spa & Fitness amenities at Empire Riverside Hotel available to hotel guests, supporting wellness and relaxation during their stay.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guest satisfaction rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 6,851+ Google reviews

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration28 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Abicht (Reederei Abicht)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarbor cruise operator partnered for the RIVERstyle Harbour View 2.0 package, providing guests with harbor cruise experiences as part of their hotel stay.
• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationRestaurant reservation platform integrated into the hotel website for table bookings at Skyline Bar 20up, waterkant, and DAVID'S. Provides booking infrastructure and customer management.
• cBooking (HotelNetSolutions GmbH)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline room reservation service provider handling bookings through the hotel website with payment processing integration.
• myhotelshop GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking system provider for availability checking and reservations, including MHS tracking pixel for conversion rate measurement.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline payment service provider for processing guest payments through the hotel booking and voucher systems.
• KlarnacoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment service provider offering buy now pay later options including purchase on account and installment payments.
• Concardis GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment card industry data security standard (PCI DSS) certified payment processor for credit card transactions.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationMultiple Google services including Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, Google Optimize, Google Maps for location information, and YouTube for video content.
• Meta Platforms (Facebook/Instagram)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platforms for marketing and advertising with Meta Pixel tracking for conversion rate measurement and remarketing campaigns.
• Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerConversion tracking and advertising through Microsoft/Bing search advertising network.
• TikTokminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media advertising on TikTok platform with pixel tracking and conversion optimization for reaching younger travelers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Fontenay Hamburg: Contemporary luxury lifestyle hotel on the Alster lake with strong design credentials. Comparable to Empire Riverside on architecture-led differentiation and premium leisure positioning, though at a higher price tier and different micro-location.
• Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg: Established full-service hotel near the Stadtpark and lake Außenalster. Competes for corporate events and conferences in Hamburg with larger meeting infrastructure, serving as a relevant incumbent peer for Empire Riverside's events business.
• Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg: Historic luxury hotel on the Inner Alster lake targeting high-end leisure and corporate guests. Provides aspirational competitive ceiling for Empire Riverside's premium tier, especially for wedding, events, and suite business.
• Le Méridien Hamburg: Lifestyle-brand Marriott hotel targeting creative-class travelers with design-driven amenities and central Hamburg location. Comparable to Empire Riverside on lifestyle positioning while competing through global loyalty distribution.
• Renaissance Hamburg Hotel: Marriott-branded full-service hotel in central Hamburg with comparable meeting and event facilities. Provides a relevant benchmark for Empire Riverside's corporate/conference positioning and pricing within the same city.
• The Westin Hamburg: Premium-brand hotel inside the Elbphilharmonie with direct harbor views. Competes with Empire Riverside for premium leisure and corporate travelers seeking iconic Hamburg views, but operates as part of Marriott's global loyalty and distribution network.

Direct peers

• Hotel Hafen Hamburg: Sister property under the same hotel-hamburg.de group, also located in St. Pauli near the harbor. Directly comparable urban full-service Hamburg hotel with similar view-driven positioning, mid-market premium pricing, and overlapping target guests.
• Hotel Reichshof Hamburg: Recently renovated design hotel near Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, mixing historic facade with contemporary interior. Competes for design-conscious travelers and corporate guests at a comparable price band in a different but adjacent central Hamburg location.
• 25hours Hotel Hamburg Hafencity: Lifestyle design hotel in Hamburg targeting design-conscious leisure and business travelers. Competes head-to-head with Empire Riverside on design-led differentiation, F&B concepts, and urban Hamburg positioning at a similar price band.
• Motel One Hamburg am Michel: Design-focused budget-premium hotel chain in central Hamburg with similar design aesthetic and direct booking infrastructure. Targets overlapping leisure and corporate guests at a slightly lower price band, providing close competitive pressure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EmpireRiversideHotel
• Instagraminstagram.com/empireriversidehotel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-riverside-hotel-hamburg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empire Riverside Hotel