At the end of World War II, Western allies feared that razing the largest German Army bunker in Hamburg, a hulking concrete edifice that doubled as an anti-aircraft tower and civilian shelter, might risk destroying the surrounding St. Pauli neighborhood. Preservation prevailed, St. Pauli survived, and fast forward to 1962, the Beatles emerged from the burgeoning local rock scene. So it’s only fitting that after decades showcasing the band’s memorabilia, the Hard Rock Hotel group turned to the North Sea port city for its first Reverb by Hard Rock hotel in Europe, with plans to strike a chord as resonant as its skyscraping neon electric Guitar Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. Reverb now occupies the top six stories of the restored St. Pauli Bunker, offering panoramic views that extend to the Elbphilharonimie concert hall, which featured on this list in 2018. The Bunker’s weathered gray facade is newly wrapped in a winding public garden flourishing with more than 4,500 plants and trees; inside, Reverb is jam-packed with guest amenities including private podcast-recording studios, a full-blown concert hall, all-day coffee shop Constant Grind, and tapas spot La Sala. And there’s plenty of room for those on the road to rock star status, including a fab four-bunk Roadie Suite.
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