FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Villa Viva Holzmarkt is a guest house – a hotel that will be opened jointly by the social enterprise Villa Viva from Viva con Agua and Holzmarkt 25 in early 2027. It is nestled among the clubs, concert halls, a daycare centre, studios and restaurants in the creative Holzmarkt 25 district.

 

Villa Viva Holzmarkt is different from conventional hotel models. It is based on the idea of social responsibility and the social commitment of people who believe in this idea. It is part of the Villa Viva series, which creates spaces where communities can form – communities that are committed to access to clean drinking water and are crucial to our vision and social cohesion in an increasingly polarised world.

 

What makes Villa Viva Holzmarkt special is its long-term social impact. The guest house aims to use its operations to raise funds, awareness and supporters for Viva con Agua’s international drinking water projects, while shaping and preserving culture in Berlin.

 

And all this without any donations from Viva con Agua going towards the construction of Villa Viva. Viva con Agua is also not involved in the planning, development or construction of Villa Viva Holzmarkt. Villa Viva Holzmarkt is financed by the Shareholdergang, a group of social investors. You can find more information about the financing below in the FAQ.

The idea of a guest house at this location was first conceived in 2015 by Holzmarkt 25. However, rising costs – due in part to inflation and the war in Ukraine – as well as the withdrawal of the hotel operator, caused the project to falter in 2023. A possible worst-case scenario: unpredictable financial consequences for Holzmarkt and the entry of anonymous investors who would complete the hotel project – a stark contrast to the public welfare-oriented and participatory urban quarter Holzmarkt 25.

 

By chance or stroke of luck, Benjamin Adrion, initiator of Viva con Agua and Villa Viva, learned of the situation and entered into discussions with various stakeholders. It is important to note that Holzmarkt 25 and Viva con Agua have been close friends for over 10 years. The restaurant at Holzmarkt was one of the first locations in Berlin to serve Viva con Agua mineral water. In 2016, a joint art project was realised on the current building site. At the same time, the artistic and social environment of Holzmarkt 25 fits perfectly with the philosophy of Viva con Agua and its latest social business model: Villa Viva.

 

After intensive discussions, it became clear that what belongs together can grow together here. As different as the origins of Holzmarkt 25 and Villa Viva may be, both are concerned with presenting an alternative model to the familiar, the learned and the boring. Changing realities and celebrating life – that is what they have in common.

Planning by Holzmarkt was already so far advanced that construction began in June 2024. The next step was to find a hotel operator and additional social investors. A year of discussions, rejections and new evaluations followed – including with other potential hotel operators. Until May 2025, it was not certain whether Villa Viva would become part of the guest house at Holzmarkt or whether another hotel operator would take over.

 

But now the project is up and running.

 

With Blue&Red Water by Prof. Dr. Stephan Gerhard, a management partner and expert in the hotel industry has been found who will support the operation of Villa Viva Holzmarkt. Social investors are enabling the construction of Villa Viva without a single cent of donations from Viva con Agua. At the same time, further investors are being sought who focus on social impact rather than short-term profit.

First and foremost: Viva con Agua is not contributing a single cent to the construction of Villa Viva.

 

Viva con Agua is not building Villa Viva Holzmarkt, Viva con Agua is not involved in the planning and development of the building, and Viva con Agua is not the client for the construction. Viva con Agua is also not taking out the loan from the bank.

 

The money for the construction comes from the Shareholdergang – social investors who consciously invest their capital in an impact-oriented manner. The Shareholdergang combines social impact and investor interests. They provide the necessary equity capital to secure the bank loan and enable construction. Until completion at the end of 2026, additional investors are to be brought on board to relieve the anchor investor with additional equity capital.

 

The Shareholdergang holds 100% of the shares in the building (Villa Holzmarkt Haus GmbH). Villa Holzmarkt Haus GmbH commissions the construction and takes out the loan from the bank. The building is then leased to Villa Viva Gasthaus GmbH, the hotel operator, in which the shareholder group will hold 40% and Viva con Agua 60%. This means that 60% of the profits from the guesthouse operation go to Viva con Agua and support access to clean drinking water worldwide.

Villa Viva Holzmarkt is much more than a business model in which part of the profits from the guest house operation go to Viva con Agua. The added value goes beyond the financial: Villa Viva is a platform for a community that is committed to providing access to clean drinking water. The guest house on the Spree will attract many people every year – probably more than Villa Viva Hamburg – most of whom are not yet familiar with Viva con Agua. These guests can be inspired by our vision and won over as supporters. They are people who we can inspire to become socially engaged. Activating this community in particular should generate a wide range of added value for Viva con Agua.

At Villa Viva Holzmarkt, you will find the right accommodation for every budget and need – from simple sleeping berths for low-budget travellers to stylish rooms with a view of the Spree to luxurious suites with panoramic views on the rooftop floor. Thanks to the modular room layout, flexible combinations are possible, ideal for families, groups or companies. The suites can be combined to create event spaces if required. Guests benefit from the direct location on the banks of the Spree with access to a café, bakery, theatre, concert hall, studios, club and the Katerschmaus restaurant. All rooms face the sun and offer direct access to the Spree. An open-plan restaurant by the water and special backpacker areas complete the Villa Viva Holzmarkt experience.

We keep a close eye on the environmental impact of everything we do. Our goal: to do what we can – idealistically, but not ideologically.

 

Villa Viva is being built to a high energy standard (KfW 55). This reduces energy consumption and improves the building’s carbon footprint. Most of the energy required is covered by a heat pump. We also use a photovoltaic system with battery storage.

 

We use resource-saving, recyclable materials wherever possible in the construction. The façade is mainly made of wood, as are most of the windows. The supporting structure is made of concrete – despite its high CO₂ emissions during production, this is currently unavoidable for us due to static requirements and financial constraints. Where possible, we use CO₂-reduced and recycled concrete.

 

We also use sustainable materials in our interior design – especially wood: most of the floors in the hotel rooms and dining areas are made of wood, as are many of the walls, galleries and furniture. We also use second-hand furniture and furnishings. Almost all of our lighting is provided by energy-saving LED lights. Green roofs and facades, as well as lots of plants indoors, create a pleasant microclimate and reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the building.

 

In all our tenders, we set clear requirements for the sustainability of the products used – they should not only be functional and cost-efficient, but also meet high standards in terms of manufacturing, ingredients and durability. This applies to both building materials and furnishings.

Viva con Agua is an ecosystem of non-profit organisations, social enterprises and committed individuals who are working to give people access to clean drinking water. Viva con Agua follows the vision of WATER FOR ALL and ALL FOR WATER and uses the universal languages of music, art and sport to motivate people to support clean drinking water and generate donations. Funds are raised through joyful activities, which ultimately flow into water projects in countries such as South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

 

The Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli e.V. association was officially registered in 2006 and recognised as a non-profit organisation. Since those early days, a steadily growing Viva con Agua family has been committed to the mission. There are volunteer Viva con Agua crews in numerous cities, independent registered associations in Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Uganda and South Africa, and majority stakes in social enterprises such as Viva con Agua Wasser GmbH and Villa Viva. And the vision of WATER FOR ALL and ALL FOR WATER is always at the heart of its activities.

 

In this way, the entire Viva con Agua ecosystem creates places of encounter and community to support access to clean drinking water together.

To answer the question directly: YES, absolutely! The overwhelming majority of Viva con Agua’s income comes from donations – and that will remain the case. Viva con Agua continues to rely on donations to support water projects worldwide. With your donation – whether in euros via vivaconagua.org or as a deposit cup in the bin at a concert or football stadium – you are actively supporting access to clean drinking water.

 

Viva con Agua’s social business approaches are not a substitute for charitable donations. Rather, they are a supplement to bring about even more social change.

 

Villa Viva locations are primarily spaces that raise awareness of Viva con Agua among new people and attract new supporters. The pure distributions and other financial added value of Villa Viva contribute to the promotion of charitable work in the medium and long term. However, given the current economic development in the hotel market, it can be assumed that Villa Viva cannot become a short-term cash cow for Viva con Agua. Rather, Villa Viva offers a platform on which a community can emerge and grow in an increasingly polarised world.

“Villa Viva” is an international platform, a decentralised network of physical locations, spaces for creativity, connection and transformation – as a hotel, guest house, farm or creative meeting place. Each location becomes a living amplifier for our message: WATER FOR ALL and ALL FOR WATER. The long-term idea is to create these community hubs in different locations around the world to support our vision. This gives our sustainable efforts a solid foundation and stability. Our vision does not grow in square metres or returns, but in social impact. Through physical locations with strong digital appeal, we create spaces for experience, sharing and action – thereby increasing the social return on investment (SROI).

 

Villa Viva is more than just a Viva con Agua brand: it is the way we view the world and want to shine into it; it is our culture, our vibe. Villa Viva aims to inspire people and organisations to connect with us or otherwise give their lives a sustainable boost.

 

So far, Villa Viva Cape Town (2021) and Villa Viva Hamburg (2023) have been opened. Villa Viva Holzmarkt is the third member of the Villa Viva series and will expand the platform to reach even more people with the vision of WATER FOR ALL and ALL FOR WATER.

The Holzmarkt is a 12,000 m² cooperative urban quarter directly on the Spree River – a lively microcosm of culture, creativity and community. What emerged from Berlin’s techno and subculture scene has developed into an open, diverse place: with a concert and exhibition hall, studios, offices, a daycare centre, a club, restaurants ranging from street food to fine dining, and a central marketplace at its heart. Over 30 tenants from Berlin’s art and creative scene provide jobs for more than 400 people here. The Holzmarkt is a place in constant flux – open to the neighbourhood and guests from all over the world. A space for work and leisure, exchange, ideas and new networks – with a genuine quality of life on the waterfront.