Hamburg releases phase-out plan for refugee housing at Harburg hotel

The Hamburg Social Authority has released a formal occupancy and reduction plan for the Holiday Inn – The Niu Quay hotel in Harburg Binnenhafen, which is being used to house refugees from Ukraine. The plan establishes a timeline for the gradual phase-out of the hotel's use for this purpose to allow for the resumption of regular hotel operations.

According to the schedule, the hotel will host up to 340 places through September 2026. A occupancy freeze will begin on January 1, 2027, followed by a monthly reduction of 50 places. The facility is expected to be fully vacated for refugee housing by June 30, 2027.

Reports indicate that the hotel group NOVUM Hospitality proactively approached the city's operator, ‘fördern und wohnen’ (f&w), to offer additional accommodation sites. The city has since leased rooms at nine different locations from the hospitality group to manage refugee housing needs.