You can find material on the announcement here: PM TRIBUTE Portfolio Hotel Potsdam
The Chocolate on the Pillow Group (COTP) is continuing its strategic development as a multi-brand hotel operator in Germany. The "Le doux Souvenir - a Tribute Portfolio Hotel", an individual boutique hotel from Marriott International's Tribute Portfolio brand, is currently under construction in Potsdam. With the completion of the model room, the concept of the hotel can now be experienced for the first time.
As the operator, COTP will take over the management of the hotel and will be responsible for its operation, marketing and positioning on the international market. The owner and developer of the property is the Hofgarten Karree KG fund, which is managed by the Berlin-based BEB+ Group.
The project involves a fundamental transformation of the former Voltaire Hotel in the historic center of Potsdam with a gross floor area of around 8,800 square meters. The front building dates back to 1736 and was originally commissioned by Frederick the Great for the philosopher Voltaire. Today, the listed part of the building forms the architectural heart of the project. It is complemented by a new courtyard building from 1995, which will be redesigned and integrated into the overall concept as part of the new development.
The interior and design concept was developed by the design and architecture firm Brumann in collaboration with the Berlin branding agency Waald. The leitmotif is the idea of a snow globe – a symbol of memory, atmosphere and its own microcosm within the city. A place that immerses guests in a world of its own and combines past and present.
The design combines historical references to Potsdam’s architectural and cultural history with a deliberately contemporary interpretation. Reflective materials, rounded shapes and orchestrated details create an atmosphere between classic elegance and modern lightness. The aim is to create an individual boutique hotel that offers guests a unique spatial experience. The historic front building of “Le doux Souvenir” leads into a quiet inner courtyard, which provides access to 145 newly designed rooms and suites, modern boardrooms, a restaurant and bar as well as a wellness and fitness area.
Iconic design elements such as the Macaron pouf, specially developed carpet designs and artistic wallpaper create an overall visual concept that combines classic elegance with playful details. The aim is to create a hotel that is not perceived as a neutral place to stay, but as a curated spatial experience.
The hotel is being built in an East German city that is in high demand from tourists and is in close proximity to the German capital Berlin. The city of Potsdam is still without a high-quality lifestyle hotel, so COTP and Marriott are occupying a clear market niche. Following extensive renovation, the centrally located property offers potential to establish itself as a price and quality leader.
“With this project, we are expanding our portfolio with another individual hotel under an international brand,” says Erik Florvaag, CEO and Managing Partner of The Chocolate on the Pillow Group. “Potsdam is a destination with international appeal and a special cultural profile. With ‘Le doux Souvenir’, we are developing a hotel that picks up on this identity and at the same time offers a modern, international hotel experience.”
For COTP, this project represents a targeted expansion of its cooperation with Marriott International. By operating several hotels under different brands of the global group, the company is strengthening its multi-brand strategy, expanding its portfolio in economically attractive locations such as Potsdam and positioning itself as a leading operator of international lifestyle hotels in the region.
The opening of “Le doux Souvenir – a Tribute Portfolio Hotel” is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.
You can find material on the announcement here: PM TRIBUTE Portfolio Hotel Potsdam
The Chocolate on the Pillow Group (COTP) stands for a portfolio of 30 hotels in the DACH region. With around 800 employees, the group operates hotels under the brands of the international hotel operators Accor (Novotel, Mercure, ibis Styles, ibis, ibis budget, TRIBE, the hoxton), Marriott (Moxy, Four Points Flex by Sheraton, TRIBUTE Portfolio) and Intercontinental (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express). The hotel group, founded in 1994 and most recently operating as the GHOTEL Group, has set itself the task of setting new standards for hospitality with state-of-the-art hospitality concepts and aims to revolutionize the way hotels are managed. As an expert partner for institutional investors, private investors and joint ventures, The Chocolate on the Pillow Group, in close cooperation with Art-Invest Real Estate and the Zech Group, covers the entire value chain from hotel construction, planning and realization to hotel operation.
