Alexander Mayer is the head chef at the Hohenhaus

HERLESHAUSEN. The Hotel Hohenhaus in Herleshausen is further expanding its culinary offering and has appointed Alexander Mayer, 39, as head chef. The multi-award-winning top chef will in future be responsible for the operational and strategic management of all the hotel’s kitchen and catering areas – from the gourmet restaurant La Vallée Verte and the Hohenhaus Grill to the events and breakfast areas.

This appointment marks the start of a comprehensive culinary reorientation at Hohenhaus, which will be implemented in stages from early 2026. This includes, amongst other things, the relocation of the gourmet restaurant La Vallée Verte to the castle’s newly designed premises, a new all-day dining concept in the Residenz, a high-quality à la carte breakfast, and the expansion of the events area. Alexander Mayer is one of the most distinguished chefs of his generation. His career began in 2012 with an apprenticeship at the legendary two-star restaurant ‘Im Schiffchen’ under Jean-Claude Bourgueil in Düsseldorf. Subsequent roles took him, amongst other places, to the Brenners Park-Hotel in Baden-Baden, where he took on his first role as head chef, and to the Hotel Atlantic Hamburg, for whose restaurant he earned a Michelin star in 2024. Most recently, Mayer worked at the multisensory fine-dining concept Eatrenalin at Europa-Park in Rust.

Since the summer of 2025, Mayer has been shaping the cuisine at the Michelin-starred restaurant La Vallée Verte in Hohenhaus. His style combines classic French haute cuisine with modern flavours, internationally inspired techniques and a clear regional focus. Ingredients sourced from the hotel’s own woodland, local farms and sustainable circular economy form the foundation of his cuisine. “Hohenhaus possesses extraordinary potential – in terms of its landscape, architecture and cuisine. My aim is to further develop all the gastronomic aspects of the establishment with a distinct signature, whilst combining quality, regionality and hospitality at the very highest level,” explains Alexander Mayer. Hotel director Olaf Seibicke also sees the appointment as an important step for the future of the establishment: “Alexander Mayer combines culinary precision with strategic thinking and a great passion for the art of hospitality. Together, we want to further develop Hohenhaus as one of Germany’s most exciting culinary destinations.”