The History of the Hotel

In 1965, a local master mason named Anker Jakobsen, was given permission to build a hotel by the city council. This was on condition however, that he would buy the half-timbered cottage ‘Frydelund’ situated on the property and preserve it as part of the hotel.

The hotel was designed by the famous Danish architects Friis & Moltke. The design however, had been subject to much criticism by the locals and a Danish newspaper once wrote an article stating the hotel was “vandalism against one of the most beautiful forests in the Denmark”.

Helnan Marselis Hotel in Aarhus opened in 1967. The grand opening took place on the land of Marselisborg where the Royal Family’s summer residence, the Marselisborg Castle is also situated.

The Helnan Marselis Hotel was Anker Jakobsen´s dream and life project. Anker Jakobsen took pride in his profession, and would not accept factory-manufactured bricks, therefore insisting that every brick be hand-made. This can clearly be seen in the many hundreds of thousands of bricks, used both on the outside and inside of the hotel. Just as the pyramids in Egypt, no two bricks have the same size nor shape.

Helnan Marselis Hotel was owned by the Jakobsen family until it was taken over by the international hotel chain, Helnan International Hotels. The chain was founded by its President, Enan Galaly who came to Denmark the same year as the hotel was inaugurated.

Since the takeover, the hotel has continuously undergone renovations and expansion in a modern maritime style. This has allowed Helnan Marselis Hotel to be recognized as one of Denmark’s most attractive hotels with a unique location and high international standards. The hotel offers a restaurant, bar and terrace as well as banquet and convention facilities, an indoor swimming pool, a wellness area, and parking facilities.