In late 2024, Okersee-Schifffahrt GmbH had to file for insolvency. With it, the hotel right on the Oker reservoir closed its doors — for decades a fixture for hikers, bikers, and everyone who loves the Upper Harz. The lake remained. The hotel remained. But it was shut.
In spring 2026, Baltic iHub GmbH leased the hotel and reopened it on 14 May 2026. Not because we wanted to run a hotel. But because we believe: Lake Oker deserves a hotel. And because we are convinced that a hotel becomes better when many people want it to succeed — not just one.
The problem with the classic investor
A single backer optimises for returns. That is their right — but it leads to decisions that are not always in the interest of the guests or the region. A hotel meant to run as profitably as possible cuts corners in the wrong places. On staff. On breakfast. On the things that truly make a stay good.
We want something different. We want many people who have a stake in the success of this hotel. Who recommend it. Who come back. Who have a sense that they are not just guests — but part of something.
The vouchers as a first step
The limited vouchers — 1,000 of them, never more — are not just a discount scheme. They are the first opportunity to become part of this story. Anyone who buys a voucher is saying: I want this hotel to work. I book directly. I don’t hand a commission to Booking.com. I’ll be back.
That may sound small — but it isn’t. 1,000 people who think this way are worth more than any single investor.
What comes next
The vouchers are step one. Step two — which we are currently preparing — is genuine crowdfunding on a German platform. Reward-based, transparent, without complicated equity structures. Everyone who takes part gets something back: discounts, special experiences, access to things that aren’t open to regular guests.
The hotel on Lake Oker belongs to the Harz. It should also belong to the people who love the Harz.
“We didn’t take over the hotel out of economic calculation. We took it over because Lake Oker deserves a hotel — and because we believe that many curious people together can achieve more than a single backer alone.”
Note
The crowdfunding plans are still in preparation. Legal and regulatory details are currently being reviewed. We will announce the exact launch here and on our social media channels.