The last few years have been challenging for everyone, and the issues the travel industry faces are incredible. For many of us in our field, it was an opportunity to be cautious, cut investment, and keep the pandemic at bay. We took a different approach. In the last few years, we’ve put in countless hours, thoughts, and EUR 3.5 million for design and renovation work in three houses. While the rest of the world plunged into recession, we kept The Circus moving forward. And we’re not finished yet.
With the momentum we’ve created over the last few years, we’re beginning the next chapter of The Circus story. We’re making adjustments to the organization’s structure as well as our leadership team. We are excited to announce a significant investment that will create an additional house to what will be referred to as The Circus Group.
In the coming weeks, we’ll share more details of what we’re planning. However, the stories are:
New Senior Leadership Team
Twenty-five years is a long time. We’re refreshing our offerings as The Circus begins the second half of its century. From 1 September 2022, The five owners of The Circus will be making an opening in the daily activities that run The Circus for a new top management team. The managing director (with the power of attorney) would be Katrin Schonig, and her hotel director role would be handled by her Assistant, Juri Westermann.
Alongside Katrin, The Senior Leadership Team comprises sales director Louis Bonneterre and Hostel Director (and owner) Andrew Ian Hadfield. Additional changes include the selection by Emma Gruber as Head of Gastronomy (Hostel & Hotel) and Melanie Lenk as Head of Administration. We’re excited to see the new enthusiasm and energy our new management team can bring to The Circus Hostel, Hotel, and Apartments over the next year and months.
New Roles for The Circus Owners
Of course, those four shareholders who have stepped out of the operational leadership remain closely associated with the company and can assist with their expertise and expertise in their primary areas of knowledge.
Christian Goppert will continue to work on all Circus properties in sustainability and building management. Tilman Hierath will oversee the IT, web, and data. Andreas Digel will support the new administration team. Andreas Becker will represent the owners of the top leadership team as well as landlords, banks, and other third parties while overseeing the development of projects.
Founding The Circus Group
We are convinced that The Circus will benefit from newer leadership while keeping the owners’ wisdom and our autonomy
and freedom of action. In this regard, we also created The Circus Group, an umbrella structure that brings all entrepreneurial endeavors and independence of The Circus GbR and the other companies that The Circus shareholders own.
A Fourth House – The Circus Living
The initial step in the development of The Circus Group has been the announcement that they will launch a fourth residence that will be located together with The Circus Hotel, Hostel, and Apartments. The Circus Living will open in 2023., The Circus Living will provide 207 fully-serviced and equipped apartment units in the heart of Berlin and coworking spaces, cafes, and a rooftop bar.
The new structure is located near Ostbahnhof and results from a EUR105 million project undertaken by veteran Circus collaborator Wilhelm Hilpert. The stunning design is among the final works of famous designer Bernd Albers, the man responsible for the city’s master plan for the historical center of Berlin. Albers has designed an impressive Art Deco design for the structure, and Munich-based BelForm will develop the interiors with a focus on the quality of their work. Its practicality perfectly aligns with our expectations of what luxurious living spaces should have.
More than ever, the issue of sustainability is a crucial concern for everyone in our industry, and it is a critical element of The Circus concept. It is expected that the Circus Living will be a KfW50-efficient structure, which makes it among the top energy-efficient designs in Berlin.
Function, design, and fun are all part of one of our most loved aspects of the project: The rooftop bar. We’re thrilled to announce that Nico Zillmann – the genius behind Lost My Voice in The Circus Hotel The Circus Hotel- is taking us on this adventure as he introduces his idea to the brand-new bar located above Berlin. We’re confident that Nico will transform the 700 square meter space with stunning views of Berlin’s skyline into the city’s most popular new nightclub, and we’re eager to drink our first cocktail over the rooftops.
We’ve mentioned it before. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more details regarding the changes that have been made and the plans we have to bring about for The Circus Group in the coming months and years. In the meantime, let’s say we’re excited and exuberant, eager for our next adventure and excited to start.