A giant hotel is rising on the Polish Baltic shore – and its neighbors across the border are watching with growing unease. The Gołębiewski Hotel in Pobierowo, already dubbed „a little Dubai” by the German press, hasn’t even opened yet, but the tourism industry in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is already bracing for impact.

A Monster Resort Still Waiting to Open

The Gołębiewski Hotel in Pobierowo was originally supposed to open in 2021. Five years later, it is still not operational – though the company recently announced on social media that the launch is imminent and has begun recruiting staff for positions ranging from housekeeping to kitchen roles. When it does finally open, the scale will be staggering: 1,200 rooms and capacity for 3,000 guests under one roof.

For context, the largest German hotels on the Baltic coast don’t come close. The Hotel Neptun in Warnemünde – a prestigious East German project opened back in 1971 – has fewer than 500 rooms.

„It Could Be Problematic”

Just across the border in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the mood is one of cautious concern. Lars Schwarz, president of DEHOGA – the association representing the interests of hoteliers and restaurateurs in the region – didn’t mince his words when speaking to Euronews.

„I would be worried if the authorities of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were not reacting to things like this,” he said. „It could be problematic.”

The concerns run on two tracks. First, there’s the straightforward competition for tourists. A resort of this size, located just a short drive from the German border, could pull visitors who might otherwise have chosen the German Baltic coast. Second – and perhaps more immediately pressing – is the fear of a labour drain. Schwarz openly worries that the new hotel will attract workers from cross-border regions of Poland, further straining an already tight hospitality job market on the German side.

The Wage Gap Factor

The issue of wages adds another layer of complexity. Schwarz noted that salaries in the Polish hospitality sector are often just one third of the German minimum wage. For Polish workers, a job at a large domestic resort could be more attractive than the commute across the border – and for the Polish hotel itself, lower labour costs represent a significant competitive advantage.

However, Schwarz insists that the real battle will not be won on price alone. Quality and the overall offer, he argues, will be the decisive factor.

„Too Big for the Region”

Not everyone on the German side is losing sleep over it. Rolf Seelige-Steinhoff of the SEETELHOTELS group keeps a cool head, even as he acknowledges the sheer scale of the Polish project.

„We don’t compete on size, but on quality, personality and experience,” he told Euronews.

He went further, pointing out that competition doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: „Competition can bring positive impulses for the entire region.”

The Polish company, for its part, has pushed back against the wage criticism, arguing that pay differences stem from broader „economic and systemic conditions” rather than any individual company’s choices.

Looking Ahead

Despite the jitters, Schwarz is actually optimistic about 2026 – he believes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern could set a new tourism record this year. „For us, that’s motivation, not a reason for concern,” he said, stressing that encouraging tourists to stay longer in the region will be the key to staying competitive.

The Gołębiewski Hotel hasn’t opened a single door to guests yet. And already, it’s changing the conversation on both sides of the border.