List of German hotels fitted with sprinkler systems

Fire protection in German hotels

Fire protection in German hotels is still in its early stages. This is evidenced by a look at international regulations, in particular at the situation in the USA: There the United States Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 has established a nation-wide uniform regulation that requires the installation of sprinkler systems. In addition, the Act requires regular publication of a hotel list specifying the hotels that meet the fire protection requirements.

Germany's fire protection level for hotels is too low; consequently fires occur in hotels causing deplorably high damages for people and assets.  Therefore the bvfa has advocated already for a long time a federal regulation that - similar to the USA - requires compulsory technical fire protection systems for buildings that are accessible to the public. Technical fire protection in this sense means a sensible combination of active fire fighting devices and structural fire protection mechanisms.

Information on the legal situation in Germany in respect of fire protection in hotels

• Recommendation 86/666/EEC of the Council of 22 December 1986 regarding fire protection in existing hotels.[Official Journal L 384 of 31.12.1986]; Objective: Securing a minimum level of safety for all hotels in the Member States of the Community.
• Model Regulation on the Accommodation Establishments (M-BeVO) - version of December 2000; Model provision of the Permanent Conference of Construction Ministers (ARGEBAU); Objective: The Model Construction Law is the basis for the state construction laws, which fall within the legislative competence of the federal states, and for the special construction laws issued on this legal basis.
• Fire protection concept for hotels and accommodation establishments; guidelines for planning and operation. VdS 2082 : 2003-02; Objective: To provide general suggestions and instructions for an effective fire protection and to adjust these to the individual circumstances of the businesses: www.vds.de
• Fire protection in a hotel - An information leaflet of the Employers' Liability Association (BG) Foodstuffs and Catering Industry, Mannheim. This publication can be ordered at http://www.bgn.de/; Objective: Training of employees to behave correctly in the case of a fire.

In Germany as a rule sprinkler systems are only required for hotels in special circumstances (e.g., High-rise Building Regulation) or on the basis of a condition imposed by fire protection authorites.

Information on the legal situation in the USA - comparison

The US Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (PL Public Law 101-391 was introduced by Congress to save lifes and safeguard property by providing the best possible fire protection level in hotels. Congress considered the bill necessary, since in the five years preceding the Act, more than 400 US citizens died in hotel fires. Hotels that comply with the norms must have a sprinkler system and sprinkler heads in every hotel room. Hotels with less than three floors are exempt from this rule. The Act requires i.a., that federal employees on their travels must be accommodated in hotels that are fitted with such installations, and that federal conferences and meetings may only be held in such hotels and conference centres. American federal agencies regularly receive lists of hotels that comply with the requirements. Representative of US agencies, but also employees of major US companies and airline companies only take accommodiation in Germany in hotels that are fitted with sprinkler systems.

Sprinkler Protected - Hotels that have been awarded the bvfa quality seal (selection)

• Luxury hotel Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt
• Hotel Adlon, Berlin
• Hotel Pyramide, Fürth
• Hotel Sofitel Köln Kongress
• Lindner Congreß Hotel, Frankfurt
• Lindner Dom Hotel Residence, Cologne
• Mariott Hotel, Berlin
• Mariott Hotel, München
• Maritim Hotel, Dresden
• Melia Hotel, Berlin
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Frankfurt
• Side-Hotel, Hamburg
• Swissôtel Berlin am Kurfürstendamm
• O₂ World, Berlin

Additional premises that have been awarded  the seal "Sprinkler Protected" are available here.