Clipper Boardinghouse – Hamburg-Holzhafen

Hotel Description

You know what caught me off guard about the Clipper Boardinghouse? It’s tucked away in Hamburg’s Holzhafen area, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from the name – boardinghouse sounds pretty basic, right? But this place actually surprised me in the best way possible.

The whole vibe feels like someone took a traditional Hamburg maritime building and gave it this really thoughtful modern makeover. I mean, you’re literally in the old timber harbor district (Holzhafen translates to “wood harbor” if you’re curious), so there’s this authentic port city atmosphere everywhere. The rooms have this clean, minimalist thing going on, but not in that sterile way some hotels do – more like someone with really good taste decided to keep things uncluttered. The beds are honestly fantastic, and I’m pretty picky about that stuff. What I really appreciated was how quiet it stays at night, even though you’re not far from the action. The walls must be decent because I never heard my neighbors, which is always a gamble with these converted buildings.

The location is where this place really shines, though. You’re walking distance to the Speicherstadt – that’s the warehouse district with all those red brick buildings that look incredible at sunset – and the HafenCity development is right there too. But here’s the thing locals know: you’re also close enough to Sankt Pauli and the Reeperbahn that you can easily walk over for dinner or nightlife, but far enough away that you’re not dealing with drunk tourists stumbling around at 3 AM. The staff actually knows the neighborhood well, which is rarer than you’d think. When I asked about good breakfast spots nearby, they didn’t just point me to some tourist trap – they recommended this little bakery on Koreastraße that I never would’ve found otherwise. Check-in was smooth, and they let me store my bags early without any hassle, which saved my day since I’d arrived on an early flight. The common areas have this relaxed, almost residential feel – there’s a kitchen you can use if you want to grab groceries and cook something simple, and the whole place just feels more like staying at a really well-organized friend’s place than a typical hotel. That 8.8 rating makes total sense once you’ve been there – it’s not trying to be fancy or flashy, but everything works exactly like it should, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need when you’re exploring a city like Hamburg.

Early hotels booking in Hamburg is essential during major events like the Hamburg Port Anniversary, as accommodations fill up quickly with visitors eager to experience the city’s renowned harbor culture and nightlife.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $204. Comfort Apartment with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $225. Business Apartment with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $235. Superior Apartment with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $257. Executive Apartment 1.-3. Etage with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $278. Executive Apartment 4.-6. Etage with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $288. Deluxe Apartment 1.-3. Etage with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $330. Deluxe Apartment 4.-6. Etage with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Patrícia from Germany – 16 February 2025 (9/10)

  The view, the bath tub, heated wooden floors, the bed was comfortable.
  There was an awesome system with a TV that could revolve on the wall and face the bedroom or the living room. This wall with the TV could also be pushed to the side to connect the bedroom to the living room and create an open space.
  There was also a small kitchen but fully equipped.
  The design of the flat was tasteful and looked high quality.
  
  What could be improved: The blinds didn't close fully and some light came into the bedroom. The light switch in the bedroom also had a light of its own, making it so that the bedroom could not be fully dark.

• Valentina from Germany – 16 January 2025 (8/10)

  Location and the design (not just the kid, but the user experience as well) are really good
  
  What could be improved: Light switches were a bit glitchy 🙁

• Theesters from Germany – 28 November 2024 (9/10)

  Big apartment for a reasonable price, with great service from staff.

• Sting from Singapore – 10 November 2024 (9/10)

  Nearby train station.
  
  What could be improved: May add more cleaning frequency.

• Peter from United Kingdom – 11 August 2024 (9/10)

  The view of the Harbour from the apartment was spectacular! It was one of the reasons for choosing this location.
  I liked the neighbourhood, which isn’t in the centre of town but an area with traditional bars, and smart modern restaurants and bars offering all types of cuisine.
  There is a pathway behind the property which leads to higher level neighbourhood and a nearby park which has spectacular views of the harbour and docks area.
  The apartment had a large reception area with check-in (only open until 5pm) and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
  The apartment was spacious and modern, the bathroom has a large bath and separate shower. There is a kitchenette and dining table and a spacious living room with desk. Plenty of space for two and an ideal workspace if required.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing, it was all good

• Raluca from Denmark – 13 July 2024 (9/10)

  Great location, comfortable beds, clean place.

• Dmitri from Estonia – 12 July 2024 (8/10)

  Clean and functional. Nice rooms and location.
  
  What could be improved: Reception is just until 17:00. If you're arriving later, please enjoy filling all your personal details once again on a public screen in front of the hotel.
  Also, if you're arriving by car, good luck figuring out how to get into the parking (spoiler: park temporarily on the streets, check-in using terminal at the front door, then use your room card to open the garage door).
  Oh, and if you're booking 2 rooms and one parking spot, only one random room card will be able to open the garage door.
  And don't bother reporting these issues to the staff, they don't seem to be interested.

• Erwin from Netherlands – 17 June 2024 (8/10)

  Appartement was big in a nice location and had everything you need. Overall a great stay for us
  
  What could be improved: Outside noise eventhough earplugs were provided. Out of hour check in process as okay but I had to try my surname in many different ways before it worked

• Brian from United Kingdom – 12 May 2024 (9/10)

  We did not want a city-centre location, but valued more highly a good view of shipping on the River Elbe in a less busy location. This is exactly what Clipper Boardinghouse provided. Our spacious, comfortable, clean and very well-equipped apartment had the river view we had requested. The reception staff were delightful and helpful, and the whole development was very well-designed, maintained and safe – as was the surrounding area.
  
  What could be improved: For 'oldies', the high-tech, out-of-hours registration and key-printing machine was a challenge, but one that we succeeded in overcoming! The area is well-served by buses, but visitors to the city are not well-served by an easy-to-use ticketing system. You can't use a bus without an app, ticket or card, and you can't obtain these at the bus stop, but in an obscure (unadvertised) place located somewhere beyond the local park. If they can make ticketing easy for the nearby river ferries that are part of the same transport system, why not for all the other modes?? If you want to buy in some food etc. to prepare a meal in the flat, you need to travel to get to shops, and taxis can be expensive. The only other aspects of an otherwise excellent stay, were the lighting system in the apartment and the information about logging on to the Wi-Fi, both of which appeared to be unnecessarily complicated / obscure.

• Enrico from Australia – 7 May 2024 (9/10)

  A modern apartment. Near the fish markets and need public transport to get to town centre.
  
  What could be improved: The doonas on the bed were too warm. Would have liked a thiner blanket in the room.

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