THE DORF as a guest of Martina Puhl from Henri Hotel

Centrally located between the old town and the main train station, the HENRI HOTEL Düsseldorf is situated in the Pempelfort district. Here, 60s and 70s design with a unique factor meets authentic ambience: The jazzed-up office building with 79 studios is a place to dive into and be transported to another time. In the interview, service and kitchen fairy Martina Puhl tells us more about repeated wedding proposals, evening snacks and diversity at the hotel. 

The facts:

• Henri Hotel
• Our interviewee: Martina Puhl, 56
• since October 2018 in the hotel, service and kitchen

Martina, describe your daily work routine - what are your tasks?

My workday usually starts at 6 a.m. and involves helping the breakfast chef greet guests, check off room numbers, fill out the table plan, add food or refill drinks. By 10 a.m., breakfast time is over and then it's time to clear, sanitize and prepare for the next day. 

How would you describe your typical hotel guest?

Our hotel guests are very mixed. We have German guests, but also international guests. During the week it's more business people and on the weekend sometimes families with small children. 

What is special about your house?

We always have an evening snack from Monday to Thursday. This is a small evening snack with homemade dips, vegetable sticks, butter, bread and rolls. In addition, there are also homemade soups, which can be purchased for a small fee. This is always very well received by our guests.

What else makes your hotel stand out?

The employees. We are not all originally from the hotel industry, so we have very different skills, but at heart we are all hosts. Guests stay with us as if they were friends. Our philosophy is "home away from home". Our building is also very special. It's from the 70s and the interior design, the decoration, the rooms and our outfits have been adapted to that - it's all 70s vibes!

What special anecdote will you never forget? 

A guest once asked us to decorate a room very specially because he wanted to propose to his girlfriend. He ordered roses, balloons and champagne and we designed everything according to his wishes. A week later, he suddenly came back and asked us to prepare the whole thing all over again. To this day, we don't know what exactly was going on, but it was a very memorable event. 

Another time there was a Canadian guest with us who works for the Canadian railroad. After a few days, I happened to turn on the TV and saw this very guest on a program talking about the railroad. That was really funny. 

Why can guests feel safe with you especially in Corona times?

Due to the size of the hotel, we can keep a good overview. In the breakfast area, every second table is blocked off and at check-in the guests give us their desired breakfast time directly. This way, we can manage that not too many are sitting at breakfast at once. Of course, we also have a hygiene concept. Everything is disinfected regularly and masks are mandatory throughout the house. In addition, only one person is allowed to use the elevator. The rest have to walk - so we're also directly doing something for the health of our guests (laughs).

What does the future hold?

When we have hopefully overcome this crisis, we would like our regulars back. We hope that the fairs can take place again and we can do what we do best and enjoy the most. In any case, we will bring back our guests! 

What would you recommend to someone staying in Düsseldorf for a day and a night? 

First, I would recommend to walk from the Henri into the city and then take a boat trip with the White Fleet to Kaiserswerth. There you can stroll nicely, eat something, or stop at the Burghof in the beer garden. Later I would recommend to go back towards the Rhine Tower and enjoy the great view from the top. In the evening, you can eat very good tapas at La Copa on Berger Straße and have a Killepitsch as a digestif. 

What does your personal perfect day in Düsseldorf look like?

The first thing I would do would be to go and play a round of golf with my boyfriend. After that, we would ride our bikes along the Rhine to Carlsplatz in the old town. There we would then shop for something tasty, drink a glass of wine and also eat tapas at La Copa. In the evening we would take the White Fleet back home to Kaiserswerth. 

Typical Düsseldorf for you?

The home breweries, the diversity of the museums and the opera, the internationality of the city and the many parks. 

What is your favorite place in Düsseldorf?

The Carlsplatz.

What is your favorite event in the village?

The Japan Day including fireworks.

What is/was your favorite moment in the village?

The birth of my daughter and the time on the Rhine. 

Düsseldorf in three words:

Modern, international, diverse.

Why should readers come to you for the new THE DORF THE MAG?

You get first-hand info from insiders who love their city. THE DORF THE MAG offers a collection of interesting things to do here and, like Düsseldorf itself, is very diverse.

If you are now in the mood for a short vacation in Düsseldorf, then you can find the right hotel package here.

About THE CHECK IN:

Amidst the joy of the reopening of the hotel industry, THE DORF and Düsseldorf Tourism present an intimate and personal insight behind the facades of Düsseldorf's hotels with the interview series THE CHECK-IN. In addition to many stories and individual design concepts, you will also find the current THE DORF THE MAG No. 4 at all participating addresses, which lovingly tells about the city with exciting stories about art and culture, gastro secret tips and an eye for local heroes. The focus of THE CHECK-IN is on the faces that passionately ensure unforgettable stays and good times in the village. But even in times of crisis, the protagonists* continue to guarantee optimism, a special feel-good atmosphere and security at the hotel. Their love for Düsseldorf and passion for hospitality motivate the interview partners every day to take the city and its diversity out into the world. In addition to their personal insider tips, they reveal in the interview why THE DORF THE MAG is the perfect companion for a hotel vacation in the most beautiful city on the Rhine.

So let's go! The hosts of the Düsseldorf hotels are already waiting for you. Get yourself a THE DORF THE MAG, enjoy a little hotel lobby flair and you're ready for a perfect summer in the village. 

(c) THE DORF 2021
Interview + Text: Amani El Sadek
Photos: Kristof Puller