In 1770, when Brigadier William von Halling came home to Denmark from India, he brought with him enormous riches and slaves whom he housed in the cellars of what is now the hotel. He was a plague to his surroundings and mistreated his peasants, slaves and even his wife. He succeeded in purchasing the Grand Cros of the Order of Dannebrog, “The White Knight” title, the military rank of Brigadier and his later ennoblement. The vast sums he paid for these honours enabled the King of Denmark to have the large square, Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen, paved. On his landed estate, the Brigadier exercised the right to decide on marriage partners for his peasants – and to spend the wedding night with the bride. His crude behaviour resulted in unsuccessful attemps on his life and when he finally died, the church bells were rung for joy and the peasants flocked to his funeral in Aalborg to see him safely under six feet of earth.

The Brigadier had, however, the means and the imagination to build his city residence in Aalborg in 1783 – the building known now as Brigadier Halling´s Mansion and which is scheduled as a protected building Grade 1.

In 1853 the house was converted into the HOTEL PHØNIX – AALBORG, taking its name from the Arabian Phoenix, a mythical bird which rose again in the Sun Temple of Heliopolis, once again to leave Egypt.

Over the years, HOTEL PHØNIX has played a significant part in the history of Aalborg. It has been the setting for many important events and many heads of state have stayed here. Brigadier Halling´s Mansion is till the core of the hotel and still houses valuable works of art dating from his time. Several of the beautiful lounges and halls are named after him and the hotel has donated valuable objects to the Historical Museum and to the Academy of Fine Arts.

The Brigadier´s motto “Forward” has been revived and sweeping improvements have been initiated, making the hotel what it is today – a first class, historical and international hotel with extensive accommodation and all modern amenities including several restaurants and bars, excellent conference, banqueting and exhibition rooms and recreational facilities.