The COURT Hotel in Halle in Westphalia - a tennis hotel where tennis stars feel at home

Each of our TennisTraveller hotels has its own story. Stories that make these tennis hotels truly special. Stories that fascinate and inspire TennisTraveller COURT HOTEL  in Halle in Westphalia has countless stories to tell from its tournament days. After all, it hosts the NOVENTI OPEN every year, the first grass-court tournament of the ATP Tour in Germany. But let's open the book of stories together and read about how this traditional grass-court tournament takes place in and around the TennisTraveller hotel, and which tennis stars have frequented the hotel.

The place where the tennis stars of the NOVENTI OPEN relax off the court – the COURT HOTEL located right next to the Centre Court grass in the OWL ARENA. During the tournament week, all participants of Germany's largest ATP tennis tournament are accommodated and pampered there. From Boris Becker, Thomas Muster, and Nicolas Kiefer to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer: they have all been guests at the four-star hotel in Halle Westfalen while competing for victory at Germany's most prestigious grass-court tennis event.

Roger Federer (second from left) is greeted upon his arrival in 2021 on the lakeside terrace of the COURT HOTEL by tournament director Ralf Weber (second from right), his son Darek (left), and wife Irina. © NOVENTI OPEN

No wonder, since the hotel was built specifically for the internationally renowned ATP tournament in 1993. Now, its name (COURT HOTEL), address (Roger-Federer-Allee), and even the kiosk at reception ("GRAND SLAM") reflect this: Tennis is the central theme here, evident every second. Pictures from almost 30 years of tournament history adorn the corridors, along with signed posters. Even the newly renovated rooms feature tennis motifs. "Our unique selling point is precisely this special connection to tennis – and our guests should feel it," says Hotel Director Lutz Lachmann.

A newly renovated room in the category ““ at the Haller COURT HOTEL. @ COURT HOTEL

For 27 years now, tennis stars have been frequenting the former Sportpark Hotel. Unforgettable is the anecdote of Roger Federer being surprised by Lleyton Hewitt in the lobby in 2010, who greeted him with the words, "Hey Lleyton, what are you doing here?" unaware that the former Wimbledon champion had registered for the tournament. Hewitt replied that he wanted to check out the tournament on Federer's recommendation – and promptly won the final, against Federer. Whether the two toasted their victory together at the hotel bar is unknown: "But I've been told that the bar was a particularly popular spot for the players in the early years of the tournament," explains Lutz Lachmann with a wink.

Lleyton Hewitt (right) won the 2010 final of the ATP tournament in HalleWestfalen against Roger Federer. @ NOVENTI OPEN

Players particularly appreciate the short distances – the match courts and practice areas are just a stone's throw away – when staying at the COURT HOTEL . In addition to top-notch service, they are also offered a variety of entertainment options: a specially designed entertainment lounge with various arcade games and PlayStations is available to the ATP professionals. If desired, the hotel's technical staff can even connect their game console directly in their room. "This year, however, the players mostly spent their free time watching the European Football Championship," reports Lutz Lachmann, who has been the manager of the four-star hotel since September 2020.

The tournament of short distances: The COURT HOTEL is particularly popular with players due to its proximity to the arena and the practice courts. © Christian Ring Aerial Photography Bielefeld
It's also special that some players can comfortably watch the matches on the "Tennis-Point Court," the court right next to the OWL ARENA, from their balconies. When the so-called "One Tennis-Point World Championship" (a tournament in which only one rally is played) was held on this court during the qualifying weekend in 2019, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev were interested spectators from their balconies – and the latter even gave the runner-up two of his rackets as a consolation prize.

Roger Federer watches the "One Tennis Point World Championship" from the balcony of his hotel suite. © NOVENTI OPEN

“We want to offer a special wellness experience in our hotel, made possible only by the expertise of our staff and the collaboration between departments. Without a well-functioning team, this would be inconceivable in a hotel of this size. Many processes take place behind the scenes and are completely invisible to the guest,” explains Hotel Director Lutz Lachmann. Many top players, all of whom stay at the COURT HOTEL , now know long-serving employees personally. “Players like Roger Federer have been coming to our hotel for many years, so we know exactly how to make their stay with us especially comfortable,” says Lachmann. “Sometimes players also have special requests, which we are happy to fulfill whenever possible.”