Stylistically, there is a wild mix in every room.

Stackable tubular steel beds stand next to small pieces of furniture from the Biedermeier period, and a brand-new refrigerator hums softly under elegant lights on the ceiling.

In the foyer, boxes with blankets and mattresses are stacked next to a large pool table.

The luxury hotel Schloss Reinhartshausen in the Rheingau, which has been empty since autumn 2020, has been preparing to take in war refugees from Ukraine in a rush.

The former suites of the hotel in Eltville-Erbach have been converted into family rooms, each with six beds.

Oliver Bock

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus district and for Wiesbaden.

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All 54 rooms can be occupied by a total of up to 230 refugees, mostly women and children, over the next two weeks.

The first 57 Ukrainians had been notified to the district for Monday afternoon by the central admissions office in Giessen.

The members of the district administration are all the more relieved to be able to rent a property like the Schlosshotel for an initial period of six months.

However, the district left unanswered questions about the financial terms of the deal.

All property owners who offer accommodation would be treated equally by the district.

Already more than 1000 war refugees

The way from room to room leads over bare ground, because the Ukraine war hit hotel owner Dana Qadir in the middle of preparing for a comprehensive renovation.

Even if it is difficult to imagine how this refurbishment would have been possible by the date of the planned reopening in September.

Now Ukrainian refugees are moving in, and the conversion plans are being postponed until at least 2023.

Because most of the furniture had already been removed from the rooms, new beds had to be bought quickly.

According to the current status, there are already more than 1,000 war refugees living in the Rheingau-Taunus district.

According to previous forecasts, another 120 will be assigned to the Giessen district every week.

The district is therefore in negotiations about renting additional properties, especially as housing for refugees had become scarce even before the outbreak of the war.

Ralf Bachmann from the district administrator's staff therefore does not rule out that the district will also access land lease offers and set up containers there.

There is a high degree of planning uncertainty, so containers are a serious option.

The district wants to avoid occupying the sports halls with refugees - as in 2015 - for as long as possible.

With one exception: the new collective accommodation in the gym of the Rheingau School in Geisenheim was opened on Sunday.

If necessary, up to 250 people can be temporarily accommodated here before they are moved to other accommodations such as Reinhartshausen.

Big wave of helpfulness

However, the district administration is under no illusions that the crisis will be over quickly.

Rather, the administration is planning to provide housing for those Ukrainians in the foreseeable future who were initially accommodated in private households but cannot stay there permanently.

The wave of willingness to help in the 17 cities and communities is still great, according to the Bad Schwalbach district house.

Anyone who still wants to help but cannot provide housing or donate money is welcome as a supervisor, contact person and contact person for the Ukrainians.

Also to show the refugees the region and the possibilities for leisure activities.

The Ukrainians in Schloss Reinhartshausen should first have the opportunity to rest and gain distance.

They are supplied from the hotel kitchen, socially and medically cared for by the district administration.

A vaccination against the corona virus is also planned.

According to the management, the large park below the castle hotel will also prove to be a stroke of luck for the children.