As long ago as 1909 the Gabelbach project was initiated by the state government of Weimar. Despite the exacting regulations of the day the planning and building foundations were completed quickly, and the spa resort of Gabelbach was opened in 1912. A commercial wing and kitchens were added in the 1930s.

The buildings escaped damage during the war and Gabelbach was acquired in 1952 by the company Fundament GmbH. It was subsequently handed over to the SED, the ruling party in the years of the German Democratic Republic.

It remained inaccessible to the public for many years, although was used to provide hospitality to many foreign delegations during this time. Karl-D Gaydoul, a hotelier from Nuremberg, bought the site in 1990 and re-named it the Berg- und Jagdhotel Gabelbach. Since 1998 the hotel has been part of the hotel group ‘Romantik Hotels und Restaurants International’ and is now known as the ‘Romantik Berg- und Jagdhotel Gabelbach’. After several years’ construction the original building (dating from 1911) was given a modern extension of 60 rooms and a Conference Centre, the two sections joined by a spacious glass construction and completed in 1994. In all the hotel now offers 91 rooms, including non-smoking rooms, special rooms for allergy-sufferers, suites, country-house suites and apartments.