Hotel Odenwaldblick
The history of the Hotel Odenwaldblick – A place with tradition and heart
In the late 1950s, Johann Adam and Elfriede Gensert laid the foundation for what is now known as the Hotel Odenwaldblick. Originally planned as a cozy café, the house opened its doors to the first guests on Good Friday 1957. The café quickly became a popular destination for visitors from the entire Frankfurt area.
In order to meet the growing demand, the building was expanded in the mid-1960s: a new dining room and an extended terrace provided more space and comfort. Another milestone followed in the early 1970s: the house received its first 19 hotel rooms, thus laying the foundation for today's hotel business.
In 1984, even more dining area was added to the open terrace, so that up to 180 guests could now be catered for. After the sudden loss of founder Johann Adam Gensert in 1986, his son Johann and his wife Anja took over the management of the house. They received active support from senior manager Elfriede Gensert who was always there for the guests as the heart and soul of the house. In 1992 and 1995, the family modernised the restaurant and also the hotel rooms.
Six new hotel rooms were also created with the support of the Austrian company Voglauer. A heavy blow struck the house on the morning of January 31, 1998: a fire destroyed large parts of the building. But the Gensert family and their dedicated team overcame this challenge together. After extensive renovation, the house reopened its doors in July of the same year.
In 1999, a large beer garden was added, welcoming up to 100 guests. Sustainability also found its way into the hotel: In 2010, a 20.5 kW rooftop solar system was installed generating the average electricity demand of four households within a year. This was followed in 2011 by an innovative air conditioning system for all hotel rooms – a unique selling point in the region and a rarity for hotels our size.
In the summer of 2012, the kitchen was extensively modernised to meet the high culinary standards. The big anniversary celebration planned for 2017 to mark the 60th anniversary was only celebrated on a small scale due to the sudden death of the popular senior manager Elfriede Gensert in November 2016.
Thank you very much for your many years of loyalty!
