Rooftop camping is a common topic here at New Atlas, but typically it's focused on tents mounted atop motor vehicles. A new hotel opening this year in Hamburg, Germany is broadening the conversation, supplementing its standard rooms with a rooftop campground. You might expect to find glampy yurts or cabin tents in such a fixture, but the Pierdrei Hotel has a different idea: craning up the Dethleffs Coco, one of Germany's latest and most stylish small camping trailers.
For as long as we've followed it, Dethleffs has been in the business of pushing the boundaries of camper design, from teardrop movie theaters, to solar-powered motorhomes, to electric-drive travel trailers. So when someone else comes up with an idea that Dethleffs considers "unusual," we definitely stop and take notice.
Those someones are the proprietors behind the Pierdrei Hotel, a new property that aims to offer comfortable, stylish and affordable accommodations in Hamburg's HafenCity quarter, the active redevelopment area that's also the home of the stunning Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Part of the hotel's plan is "Camper City," a 1,670-sq ft (155-sq m) outdoor caravan area located on a lower hotel roof 23 feet (7 m) above the bustling city below. A selection of caravans will be parked amid the roof's rustic garden setting, providing views of the surrounding city and a soundtrack from the harbor.
Set to feature prominently in the camping area is the Dethleffs Coco, the cozy teardrop-meets-bread loaf trailer that served as the basis of last year's show-stopping E.Home electric-drive concept caravan (linked above). Three of the attractive, little (non-electric) Coco trailers will be grabbing the attention of pedestrians below from their perch on the Pierdrei roof. The trio has made its way up to its new home via a 140-tonne (154-US ton) crane.
Each two-sleeper Coco will be specially decorated and appointed for the hotel. Amenities will include a flat-screen TV, WLAN connectivity, telephone and refrigerator. It's not clear if the regular floor plan will remain intact, but the basic Coco includes standard features and options like an L-shaped corner sofa/bed, dining nook, kitchenette, toilet room, and plenty of natural light thanks to multiple windows and skylights, including the long, arched roof pane up front.
Coco bookings will run approximately €80 (approx. US$90) a night, according to Dethleffs, and will be available between the spring and fall months. Winter "camping" will be available upon request.
Beyond Camper City, the Pierdrei will have a total of 212 rooms categorized into five sizes between small and extra large. It will also have a premium cinema lounge, an intimate 100-seat concert and events theater, a 2,150-sq ft (200-sq m) gaming area specifically for children and teens, and a bicycle rental shop, along with hotel standards like restaurants and bars.
Glamping resorts and rental properties leveraging stylish, well-equipped trailers like Airstreams have been trending in recent years, flipping the idea of a "trailer park" into a fashionable modern getaway gently tinged with shades of invigorating #vanlife adventure. Usually such properties are planted on the ground, however; the Pierdrei is the first we've come across up on a roof, though we have seen rooftop camping tent and yurt installations in the past.
The Pierdrei Hotel is nearing the end of a two-year construction phase, and plans call for a soft opening in September. As for Dethleffs, we'll catch up with its latest offerings at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, which starts at the end of the month.
Source: Dethleffs, Pierdrei Hotel