Opened in 1840 as the luxurious “Hôtel de l’Europe”, the Europäischer Hof in Baden-Baden welcomed prominent guests such as Empress Sisi and Muhammad Ali for decades. In 1930, the hotel was purchased by Albert Steigenberger and became the first hotel in the renowned Steigenberger chain. Today, it belongs to “H World International” and is one of seven exclusive Steigenberger IconHotels.
The grand hotel not only stands for exclusivity but also combines sophisticated tradition with modern comfort. Just in time for the 95th anniversary of the Steigenberger brand this year, the legendary hotel reopened its doors in August 2025 after extensive renovation.
Listed building meets innovative fire protection technology
The renovation of the historic building complex, consisting of six buildings, each with five to seven floors, placed high demands on fire protection.
In order to develop a holistic solution that would meet the various compensation requirements while minimising water and space requirements – especially given the restrictions imposed by listed ceiling structures – a modern high-pressure water mist system from FOGTEC was chosen. Due to its compact design and high efficiency, it was also used throughout the hotel to compensate for structural fire protection measures.
Technological challenges mastered in a space-saving manner
The central pump room for the fire protection system was set up on the ground floor. It houses five high-pressure pumps, one of which is redundant, and a specially manufactured water tank with a capacity of 15,000 litres.
In the event of a fire, the water supply ensures that the system can be supplied for at least 30 minutes – with replenishment for at least 60 minutes.
The system is supported by a modern uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which was installed on an additional mezzanine level and separated by F90 fire protection construction.
This space-saving solution allowed the limited space to be used efficiently.
The entire system is equipped with an intelligent BUS system. One of the advantages of this is that significantly fewer cables are required, making the system ideal for tight, listed false ceilings. The BUS system is also custom-made and was programmed specifically for this project in close cooperation with Mitsubishi and ifm electronic GmbH.
Individual solutions for exclusive areas
A total of 32 zone valves and over 4,000 glass-activated nozzles were installed – with an unprecedented variety. Depending on the area, the nozzles have different specifications and, above all, different colours. For example, in the saunas of the 1,300 square metre spa area, which is partly embedded in the historic walls of a former bank vault, nozzles were used that trigger at 141 degrees Celsius.
In the hotel’s exclusive lounge areas, such as the elegant “Auerhuhn Lounge” with its brown fabric ceiling or the “LUIZA Rooftop Terrace & Bar” with its piano lacquer ceiling, the nozzles were given a colour-coordinated finish to blend harmoniously into the luxurious ambience.
A special highlight is Germany’s first Porsche Studio in the hotel. The 300 square metre presentation area has space for at least two cars to be exhibited. One of them can be displayed in the spectacular light garage, which puts the vehicles in the spotlight. The installation of the nozzles in the structure required absolute precision work. The black-painted nozzles were positioned with millimetre precision to ensure both optimal appearance and protection.
A perfect symbiosis of tradition and safety
With a dedicated team of 15 employees on site, FOGTEC realised a groundbreaking project that impressively demonstrates how state-of-the-art fire protection technology not only meets the highest safety requirements, but can also be harmoniously integrated into a historically valuable and aesthetically sophisticated building.
