Excelling into the future

Following our status as finalists in 2024, we are delighted to have reached the next stage of the competition this year. The award was presented during a gala ceremony in Düsseldorf – and recognises a path we have been following together for many years: as a family-run hotel, firmly rooted in Duhnen, whilst at the same time striving to continually develop and improve.

Thinking ahead from Duhnen

Our story began 130 years ago. In 1893, Amandus Mangels, a farmer from Duhnen, decided to build a small hotel right on the sandy beach. Three years later, what was then known as the ‘Strand-Hôtel Duhnen’ opened its doors. What began back then as an idea and a longing for water, wind and the Wadden Sea has remained a family business to this day.

Of course, a great deal has changed since then. The former seasonal establishment has become a year-round holiday and wellness hotel. The Levitas Wellspa, our varied dining options, the Aparthotel Kamp and numerous modernisation projects – both large and small – have continually expanded our offering over the years. What has remained unchanged is our commitment to offering our guests a place they love to return to – and where, ideally, a stay becomes a little piece of home by the North Sea.

For us, tradition also means continuous development

As important as our history is to us, looking to the future is just as much a part of who we are. In recent years, we have therefore consistently invested in modernisation, digitalisation and new services.

One example of this is our in-house developed 360° HR platform POINTCHAMP. It combines an employee app, an AI-powered company wiki and quality management, helping us to pool knowledge, streamline internal communication and continuously improve our processes. Ultimately, there is always one goal behind all this: to create the right conditions for our staff in their day-to-day work and to be able to offer our guests consistently high quality.

At the same time, Duhnen remains our home. The proximity to the Wadden Sea, our commitment to the region and our own event formats are just as much a part of the Strandhotel for us as the rooms, restaurants and wellness facilities. Because we don’t just want to be a hotel in Cuxhaven, but a company that feels connected to its location and actively helps to shape it.

An award that takes the whole picture into account

This is precisely why the ‘Grand Prize for Medium-Sized Enterprises’ means so much to us. After all, the award does not recognise a single idea, a particular hotel room or a specific project. Rather, the jury assesses the development of a company as a whole.

The assessment criteria include, amongst other things, overall development, the creation and safeguarding of jobs and apprenticeships, innovation and modernisation, commitment to the region, as well as service and customer focus. A total of 4,842 small and medium-sized enterprises across Germany, as well as business-friendly local authorities and banks, were nominated for the competition. Organised by the Oskar Patzelt Foundation, the competition is taking place for the 32nd time this year under the motto ‘Trust creates opportunities’.

The fact that, following our selection as a finalist in 2024, we are now among the winners in the Lower Saxony/Bremen competition region makes this moment all the more special for us.

Above all, an accolade for our team

Whilst we are delighted to receive such an award, we also recognise that the development of our hotel would not be possible without the people who contribute to it every day.

Today, around 100 staff members across a wide variety of departments ensure that, from many individual tasks, the end result is what our guests experience during their stay with us. From the kitchen and front-of-house staff, through housekeeping and reception, to wellness, technical services, administration and many other areas – every single person plays their part.

Kristian Kamp, managing owner of Kamp Hotels, summed it up perfectly on the occasion of the award:

“I am both proud and delighted that we are so well positioned as a team, and I would like to thank all our staff for their dedication.”

For us, the title ‘Winner of the 2026 Grand Prize for Medium-Sized Businesses’ is therefore not just a wonderful confirmation of what we have achieved in recent years. It is also an incentive to continue on our path: to preserve our roots, remain open to new ideas and continue to develop the Strandhotel Duhnen together.

And, of course, we would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you – to our entire team for their daily dedication, and to our guests for their trust, their loyalty and the many encounters that have shaped our hotel for generations.

We are delighted to receive this special award – and look forward to continuing to write the history of the Strandhotel Duhnen together.