... of 6 generations
200 years ago, Hermann Tychon married the widow Maria Elisabeth Rotheudt, who owned a little inn. On May 1st 1832, he took over operation of the inn, which was on the busy street between the industrial cities of Eupen and Aachen, right next to the “Barér”, the customs barrier at the border. It was an ideal location, and many travellers would visit the inn. The citizens of Eynatten were also happy to spend time there, and liked the special dishes made by Hermann and his wife.
After being an inn-keeper for 34 years, Hermann decided to pass on his work (on the first of May 1866) to his grandson Léonard, who made a good job of turning the inn into a place where visitors from Aachen and the local communities could meet each other. Rich cloth merchants did business here and would sometimes use it for receptions.
In 1896 the third generation took over the inn. Dancing was becoming very popular at this time, and so a huge dance hall was built, which could take up to 600 people. On the 19th of June 1906 the new Eupen-Eynatten-Aachen tramway was officially opened, and the hotel got its own tram-stop. Hotel Tychon became the cultural centre of the community, not only for the dance hall, but also because of the big stage for theatrical productions.
Up to the beginning of the First World War, things were good, but after that came hard times. In the Second World War, the inn was used as a base first by German and then by American soldiers.
Hugo Tychon and his wife Katharina, the fourth generation of Tychons, took over running the inn at the beginning of the 1950s. The trauma of the war was still fresh in people’s minds, but in an attempt to get back to normality, people started visiting the inn again. Business in the area took off, boosted by dealing in smuggled goods.
In 1974, Leo Tychon and his wife Renate took over the family business. When their children decided to join them in the running of the inn, Leo Tychon started a program of extension and renovation. In 1992, new hotel buildings with 17 guest rooms were constructed, and in 1997 the restaurant and the dance hall in the main building were completely renovated. Due to steadily increasing demand, another building with 10 hotel rooms was completed.
Since 2002, Leo and Renate, their daughter Katrin Tychon and her husband Nick Vlaeminck have been running the business in a family atmosphere.
A new swimming pool was built in 2006 and in between individual facilities were optimised: in 2012 an inner courtyard and in 2016 the reception, a lobby, the restaurant and a storage room for bicycles. Due to the steadily increasing demand, another building complex with 10 hotel rooms and a sauna was planned in 2019.
Today, the hotel has more than 40 rooms and guests can enjoy civil and regional cuisine in an expanded, modern restaurant.
The seventh generation is still in school, but already has visions…