Born in 1858 and raised in his parents' inn with vineyards on the "Weiler Bach" - not far from Boppard - he was driven into the world early on to gain experience as a waiter in Wiesbaden, Cannes, San Remo, Bern and Monaco, among other places. Together with his wife Laura, a Boppard innkeeper's daughter, he bought the two adjacent hotels "Rheinhotel" and "Bellevue" along with the alley in between over the years.
In November 1910, Josef Breitbach demolishes both hotels and builds the distinctive building in only half a year, "for the first time with the aid of electric light", working day and night shifts. In May 1911 it is opened as the "Grand Hôtel Bellevue", with 3 rooms with private bathrooms, a telephone connection (Boppard No. 2 - the hospital had number 1) and central heating.
In 1928, the daughter Laura Breitbach, in the meantime married to the lawyer Dr Fritz Fußhöller, takes over the hotel. Despite the hard times after the war and high inflation, she builds a new building with 28 beds in 1930. (Today you will find the "Atelier" conference room there, among other things).
Early 1934: Foundation of the first German hotel cooperation "Die 6 vom Rhein" with the establishments "Die Bastei" in Cologne, "Dreesen" in Bad Godesberg, "Fürstenberg" in Remagen, "Riesenfürstenhof" in Koblenz, "Bellevue" in Boppard and "Schwarzer Bock" in Wiesbaden. This cooperation existed until the outbreak of war in 1941.
As during and after the First World War, the hotel was confiscated as a war hospital in 1941 and used after the war until 1949 for officers of the occupying forces. When the hotel is returned to its owners, it is completely looted: Laura Fußhöller starts from scratch.
From 1951 onwards, the son Horst Fußhöller, incidentally a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit, supports his widowed mother together with his wife Lissy - daughter of the master carpenter Henrich from Boppard.
As early as 1952, the hotel property was rounded off by the purchase of a house, and the kitchen and the restaurant wing were enlarged. In 1965, the speciality restaurant "Pfeffermühle", the winter garden, the bar and the "Dudelkeller" were built.
In 1973, the "Villa Mosel" and parts of the building behind it are demolished and 4 floors are built on a flood-proof concrete basin: swimming pool, sauna, congress floor and roof terrace.
In 1985/1986, another part of the old building is demolished. 14 rooms, the "Rheingold Suite" and the wellness department with sauna, Turkish steam bath, massage room and panorama relaxation room are created.
In mid-1994, the great-granddaughter of the founder and her husband, Doris and Dr. Jan Gawel, took over responsibility for the business.
Over the course of a decade, the interior and exterior of the hotel were completely renovated and new furniture was installed - all with the aim of restoring the hotel to its original flair. This runs like a thread from the entrance to the hotel room. At the same time, the latest technology is introduced.
In 2000, the ballroom "Le Bristol" is redesigned in the style of the Gründerzeit. In 2002, the restaurant "Pfeffermühle" is renamed "Le Chopin", emphasising the cultural aspect to which the hotel is dedicated. The redesign of "Le Chopin" in 2004 is entirely in the spirit of Art Nouveau.
In 2003 - 40 years after the sale of the last vineyards - a vineyard in the Bopparder Hamm, planted with Riesling and Kerner, is once again part of the estate. In addition, vineyard peach trees are planted here.
Many people who have gone down in history have visited us in the course of the century:
For example, the "Iron Gustav" in 1928, King Rama VII of Siam (today Thailand) in 1934, General Patton in 1945, Fritz Walter, Juliette Greco, O.W. Fischer, Dagmar Altrichter in 1958, Theodor Heuss in 1950, Willy Brandt in 1961, Walter Scheel in 1970, Dr Bernhard Vogel, Kurt Biedenkopf, the Emperor of Japan and Chancellor Helmut Kohl in 1993.
125 years - and no end in sight - because the 5th generation has also already chosen the hotel business.
Marek, our eldest, has been working in the family business since 2012.
Liza, our second, wine queen of Boppard from 2001-2003, learned with Roland Burtsche at the "Colombi" in Freiburg. After "Lampart's Art of Dining" near Basel (CH), the "Cheserey" in Gstaad (CH) and the Söl`ring Hof on Sylt, she completed hotel management school in Heidelberg and now works with her husband Jochen Helfesrieder at the "Storchen" in Schmidhofen near Freiburg.
Abel, our youngest - although connected to the hotel industry - discovered his vocation in science and studied mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He is currently working on his doctorate at the ETH Zurich.
The founder's great-great-grandson, Marek Gawel, has been working in the family business together with his wife Judith (née Steimer) since 2012, and the smooth transition of hotel management has begun.
2011 Judith Gawel: 1st place HDV Science Award with a thesis on change management at the Bellevue Rheinhotel
2012 Marek Gawel: 1st place FCSI Junior Champion (Germany - Austria)
2013 Marek Gawel: 1st place FCSI Young Persons Competition (Europe-Africa-Middle East)
2014: Opening of the Résidence Bellevue. 20 flats in the long-stay segment are created 150 metres from the Bellevue in a direct Rhine location next to Boppard Castle.
2015: Remodelling of 20 rooms on the Rhine side
Marek Gawel is accepted into the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe association.
2016: Remodelling of 20 rooms on each side of the Rhine
After 31 years, withdrawal from the Best Western co-operation and positioning as an individual family business.
2017: Remodelling of 23 rooms on the city and Rhine side
2018: Purchase of two houses for staff apartments
2019: Opening of staff restaurant ‘Le Team’, Downtown Studios and staff house Elzterhofstraße
Das Bellevue Rheinhotel in Boppard blickt auf eine beeindruckende Geschichte zurück, die von Tradition und Gastfreundschaft geprägt ist. Seit seiner Gründung hat sich das Hotel zu einem Symbol für Exzellenz und Charme in der Region entwickelt. Erfahren Sie, wie das Bellevue Rheinhotel die Zeiten überdauert hat und dabei stets seinen authentischen Charakter bewahrte. Tauchen Sie ein in die spannende Chronik eines der renommiertesten Hotels am Rhein und lassen Sie sich von Geschichten inspirieren, die bis ins 19. Jahrhundert zurückreichen. Ein Muss für Geschichts- und Kulturliebhaber.
