Topping-out ceremony

Willingen celebrated another big step on the way to the new lifestyle & design hotel Schutzhütte: On Friday, October 17, 2025, the topping-out ceremony was celebrated from 4 p.m. Around 100 invited guests came, including representatives from politics, business, tourism, partner companies as well as neighbors, friends and numerous craftsmen who are involved in the construction.

“With the topping-out ceremony, we have reached an important milestone. The roof is on – and with that, the shell of our heart project is largely completed,” says builder Marc Vollbracht happily. Together with his wife Sandra Vollbracht, he invited all guests to toast the achievements so far, hear the traditional topping-out speech and experience the progress on site.

Guided Tours and “Vernissage” in the Shell

After the official part, visitors had the opportunity to gain a first impression of the future hotel during guided tours through the shell. As part of a “vernissage”, exclusive, large-format renderings were also presented, which gave an outlook on the final design of the house – including the striking facade, the modern room concepts in boho style and the planned wellness area.

Food and drink were provided, and in a relaxed atmosphere there was room for conversations, exchange and also one or two construction anecdotes.

A Project with Vision

“We want to create a hotel that combines design, nature and well-being,” explains Sandra Vollbracht. “The Schutzhütte should be a place where people can be inspired, decelerate and at the same time experience the best of architecture, comfort and surroundings.”

Opening in Autumn 2026

With the topping-out ceremony, another important step has been taken towards the planned opening in autumn 2026. The project is already attracting great interest: Almost 4,000 fans now follow the construction progress on Instagram, and over 1,000 on Facebook.

“We are pleased about the many positive responses from the region and from future guests,” says Marc Vollbracht. “That motivates us to continue working on every detail with passion.”

About the Hotel Schutzhütte

It offers 69 rooms, from double rooms to family rooms to exclusive 70sqm suites with sauna, as well as 9 chalets, a spa area with saunas and pool, the two restaurants Naschmarkt and Deli, a conference area, a fitness area and bike and ski storage. The direct tunnel connection to the neighboring Lagunenbad is worth mentioning. Behind the Schutzhütte are Sandra and Marc Vollbracht, who jointly run the Familotel Sonnenpark.

About the Vollbracht family and the Sonnenpark

Sandra and Marc Vollbracht have been successfully managing the award-winning Familotel Sonnenpark in Willingen since 2012, which was founded by his parents Karin and Ulrich Vollbracht in 1983. The 4-star hotel offers hotel vacations for the whole family. A total of 170 employees take care of ensuring that guests have the most beautiful family time of the year. The Vollbracht family has consistently geared the 92 apartments, the entire service and the hotel equipment to the needs of parents and children. But what happens when the children get too old for the Sonnenpark? With this question in mind, the idea arose to also take care of these guests and their changing vacation needs and still take families into account.

This passion for the hotel industry is rewarded time and time again. This year, the editors of kinderhotel.info voted Familotel Sonnenpark Germany’s most popular family hotel for the seventh time in a row. Guest reviews on holidaycheck.de also confirm the sophisticated character of the Sonnenpark: the hotel has been one of the annual winners of the HolidayCheck Award since 2013. Sandra and Marc Vollbracht are particularly proud of this, as guest satisfaction is their top priority. “The warmth and attention to detail that we cultivate at the Sonnenpark should also extend to the Schutzhütte,” says Sandra Vollbracht.