We are the Wehrmanns. 

This guiding principle accompanies us through a very special year: we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Strandhotel Ostseeblick. What began as a vision has evolved into an establishment defined by solidarity, trust, and a family-like atmosphere. Thirty years ago, a story began—one that embodies courage, new beginnings, and belief in one’s own idea, as well as the potential for growth when one never stops dreaming. Over the coming months, we will be celebrating this milestone—sharing the occasion with guests, some of whom have been with us for decades. We look back with gratitude and forward with great anticipation.

With BLISS, we are launching our new wellbeing concept store. Here, guests can discover lovingly crafted one-of-a-kind pieces, curated yoga accessories, special gifts, stationery, ceramics, and much more. BLISS represents an alternative approach—prioritizing rituals over routines and mindfulness over distraction, and focusing on what remains once the noise fades away. Other highlights of the year include our apprentice Kha being named the best culinary apprentice in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as the “Traumschiff Usedom” walking dinner, which has met with an overwhelming response.

Under the motto “6 Top Hotels in One Day,” we are organizing the first “Walk of Talents” together with fellow hoteliers. During a special project day, students from the Europäische Gesamtschule Ahlbeck will discover our hotel’s philosophy and the fascinating nature of our industry. Further editions are already being planned. We are also paying special attention to our youngest guests: starting now, our mascot Kurti is bringing even more fun to mealtime in our restaurants with coloring activities and puzzles.

We are bursting with pride! Our guests and the readers of *SPA Inside* magazine have voted our new MEERness Spa the public’s favorite. Our “Komm, steig ein!” (“Come on board!”) initiative—which offers attractive price benefits to BOJE06 guests who travel in an eco-friendly way by bus or train—has also been honored, taking third place in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Awards in the Innovation category. As the year draws to a close, the Strandlounge—the atmospheric heart of our establishment—is getting a fresh new look.

Daughter Muriel is following in Lisa’s footsteps—albeit initially working from a separate location. Together, they represent the fourth generation and a clear vision for the future—a vision Lisa has also been championing across the industry since this year as a member of the executive board of DEHOGA Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Wehrmanns Alt-Heringsdorf restaurant has been given a fresh new look that, much like the cuisine, blends tradition with a modern twist. We are also beginning to refurbish the apartments at Villa Usedom, continuing our investment in quality and atmosphere. Furthermore, we are joining a successful partnership between DEHOGA and a German-Vietnamese educational project, actively supporting cross-border talent development.

Unfortunately, we still have to forgo the big anniversary celebration; however, after months of closure, we are incredibly happy to welcome our first guests back to the Strandhotel Ostseeblick on June 14th—our anniversary—including cherished regular guests who have been with us for many years. Together with them, we will also open the new MEERness® Spa in November, on the eve of our “Walking Dinner,” following several months of renovation.

It hasn’t been a year of unrelieved gloom, despite the coronavirus pandemic forcing us to suspend normal hotel operations on two separate occasions. My daughter Lisa Wehrmann has joined the business, bringing a breath of fresh air and new ideas—a true ray of hope during these times.

Following an exciting construction phase, we proudly unveiled our new rooms in July, including the exclusive Panorama Master Suite. It features a comfortable three-room layout, a spacious living area, a master bathroom, and a unique view. You simply won’t find a better view of the Baltic Sea than from Room 333.

In June, we received the “IHK Top Training Company” award for the first time in recognition of our commitment to training young talent at the *Ostseeblick*. Further awards followed in the years that ensued.

The big day is July 13th! Right across the way, our BOJE06 is welcoming its first guests. Following an extensive construction phase, we are opening our neighbors’ former seasonal property as a boutique hotel for the young and the young at heart—for anyone who loves docking in a laid-back maritime atmosphere to simply kick back and relax or dive headfirst into adventure.

Our neighbors and fellow hoteliers, Reinhard and Eva, wanted more time for their family, while we were keen to bring entirely new holiday concepts to life. We began by planning and renovating the existing property. Our goal was ambitious: to create a new type of hotel—one unlike anything the island had seen before. Laid-back, warm, authentic, and with a modern maritime feel.

…and everyone is celebrating along with us—thank you for these wonderful moments! We look back with great pride on what we have achieved so far, for it has been a long journey. Throughout it all, we have always been able to count on the support and enthusiasm of our fantastic team; some have been with us since the very early days.

Full of anticipation for our anniversary year, we are sprucing things up. Planning is underway: the “Ostseeblick” is set to shine in new colors, and we aim to position ourselves for the future with a new website featuring a completely fresh design.

Wine is poetry in a bottle and simply deserves a fitting setting. We are delighted to invite guests to themed or region-specific wine tastings there every Friday. In multi-day seminars, sommelier Frank Deutschmann also guides participants on the journey from wine enthusiast to true wine professional.

Directly opposite the reception area, we are creating the “Denkraum”—a multifunctional space. Think business and a beautiful atmosphere don’t mix? We beg to differ. Beyond the direct view of the Baltic Sea, this is largely due to the room’s design. All conference technology is concealed, allowing us to just as easily host up to 14 guests for fine dining.

With the BABOR Beauty Lounge, we are creating a destination for luxurious face and body treatments, as well as skincare and cosmetic products. Here, true beauty experts are on hand daily to advise our guests.

Restaurant Bernstein is being redesigned and expanded. *DER FEINSCHMECKER* has awarded our gourmet restaurant—led for the past five years by Chef Arjan Mensies and Restaurant Manager Andreas Schülke—a rating of “2F.”

The MEERness philosophy is now also reflected in our rooms and suites: yellow for honey (or sun and beach), orange for sea buckthorn, and blue for the Baltic Sea.

Gault&Millau has awarded the Bernstein restaurant 15 points and two toques, making it the best on the island of Usedom.

As our anniversary year begins, the final phase of construction is being completed. The Beach Lounge offers guests atmospheric moments in a stylish setting, from morning till night. An open fireplace, cozy seating areas, and an incomparable view of the Baltic Sea invite you to relax and daydream.

This year has been blessed with culinary accolades. The third year of collaboration with Ralf Haug has culminated in Restaurant Bernstein receiving 14 Gault&Millau points and a high-ranking distinction from *DER FEINSCHMECKER* magazine, as well as securing us 8th place on the list of top restaurants in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

We open Villa Usedom—our holiday retreat featuring 33 apartments, comprising a historic villa and a modern new-build residence. Here, couples, families, and friends can bring their personal holiday dreams to life in two- and three-room apartments.

For the first time, the German Wellness Association awards us the “EXCELLENT” premium rating—a distinction we have successfully retained in the years since. Our profile continues to grow, and we now handle our marketing entirely in-house.

There is a lot happening in our MEERness Spa wellness area: a panoramic pool, a fitness area, new relaxation zones, a wellness sun deck, Bistro Vitalia, and several treatment rooms are currently being created here.

The wellness philosophy has become increasingly close to our hearts and shapes many of our decisions. As early as 1998, we decided against catering to large groups in order to create a quiet, soothing atmosphere within the hotel. That same year, following a comprehensive certification process, we joined the “Wellness Hotels Deutschland” (W-H-D) association—now known as Wellness Hotels & Resorts (WHR)—which comprises over 40 leading private wellness hotels.

We are finally able to reopen our Strandhotel Ostseeblick as a family-run business. In doing so, we are among the first hotels to feature a wellness area. We welcome both individual guests and tour groups from the Hamburg-based company Siggelkow-Reisen. Small-scale conferences are also hosted at the hotel. The specialized TUI Vital catalogue also helps us build a loyal customer base; many of today’s regular guests first discovered us during that time.

Planning, financing, and plenty of concerns—we wanted to carry on the tradition, and we had good ideas and solid plans. But it was a major undertaking; we were quintessential outsiders, and skepticism prevailed. In the end, everything fell into place, and it all began.

Sibylle and Uwe Wehrmann purchase the hotel, committing to a completely fresh start.

Following German reunification, Günther Wehrmann applied for the restitution of the Hotel Ostseeblick. At the same time, he sought the overturning of previous court rulings—a crucial prerequisite for the hotel’s return. An initial success was the removal of an ambitious lessee who had been keen to acquire the property himself. Consequently, the former FDGB holiday home “Ostseeblick” was operated as a bed-and-breakfast hotel by Günther and Felicitas Wehrmann during the early post-reunification years.

The old “Ostseeblick”—built in the traditional seaside resort style—has fallen into disrepair and is being demolished; a functional new building is taking its place. Even before the currency reform, the Wehrmann family inspects the “Ostseeblick,” firmly resolved to reclaim what was lost.

The disastrous year of “Operation Rose” saw the expropriation of all their property and resulted in long prison sentences for the grandparents, who served time as “economic criminals.” The Hotel Ostseeblick—which they lost—is now used as an FDGB holiday home.

Kurt Wehrmann (grandfather of the current owner, Uwe Wehrmann) purchased the Hotel Ostseeblick and ran it as a family-owned establishment alongside his wife, Elisabeth; together, they were successful hoteliers.