Venue

Hotel Esplanade Resort and Spa

We are excited to announce that this year’s event will be held at the Hotel Esplanade Resort & Spa in Bad Saarow, Germany. Located on the shores of Lake Scharmützelsee, the hotel offers a serene environment ideal for both relaxation and focused collaboration. This tranquil setting for our gathering is approximately 45 minutes from Berlin.

We look forward to welcoming you to Hotel Esplanade for some engaging and productive hacking, and a bit of fun on the side.

Amenities and activities

The Hotel Esplanade Resort & Spa offers a range of amenities for a wonderful stay.

• Wellness area: A 3500m² spa with indoor pools, saunas and relaxation zones
• Fitness facilities: A fully equipped gym for your workout needs
• Outdoor activities: Opportunities for cycling and hiking around Lake Scharmützelsee

Venue website

Accommodation

Participants will be accommodated in modern, well-appointed single rooms. Each room features amenities like a work desk, Wi-Fi, refrigerator and TV to ensure a comfortable stay.

Accommodation cost

Booking process

Once allocated a place at the F2F event, your hotel accommodation will be automatically reserved. However, your reservation will only be confirmed once payment has been received in full. We will confirm further details regarding payment and confirmation in due course.

Payment

Self-funded participants: Accommodation costs must be settled prior to the event. Funded participants: ELIXIR will cover accommodation costs directly, so no payment is required.

Extra costs

ELIXIR will cover meeting facilities, social activities, catering and beverages for an hour and a half after dinner. After this period, the hotel bar will be open for participants who wish to purchase extra drinks.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations are permitted up until 1 October 2025. Please note, if you cancel after this date or do not show up at the event you will be responsible for payment in full, even if your participation is funded by ELIXIR.

Travel

Address

Seestraße 49, 15526 Bad Saarow, Germany

From the airport

The venue is approximately a 45-minute drive from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

By car

Bad Saarow is about an hour’s drive from central Berlin. Parking is available at the hotel.

By train

Option 1: From Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Bad Saarow

• Approximately 1 h 50 min travel time, involving two transfers (hourly service)
• Route:
  1) FEX (final destination Berlin Hbf) to Berlin Ostkreuz
  2) RE1 (final destination Frankfurt (Oder)) to Fürstenwalde (Spree)
  3) RB35 to Bad Saarow

Option 2: From Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) to Bad Saarow

• Approximately 1 h 30 min travel time, involving one transfer (hourly service)
• Route:
  1) RE1 (final destination Frankfurt (Oder)) to Fürstenwalde (Spree)
  2) RB35 to Bad Saarow
• Final leg: walk about 1.4 km (around 18 minutes, fully paved) to Hotel Esplanade Resort & Spa

Fare guidance: approximately €7.50 for a single trip (regular fare). If needed, ask for “Einzelfahrausweis Regeltarif”. Use DB Navigator to plan or book.

Taxis

While Uber, Bolt and FreeNow operate in Berlin, the venue has provided the contact details of a few taxi companies.

• Taxi Krüger: +49 174 7878080
• FW Taxi: +49 13 77777
• Taxi Kleemann: +49 3361 300800