Frankfurt
From Luxury Hotels to Freedom: How MDRUDW began
From an award-winning hotel management professional to an independent world traveller: my story of setbacks, digital pioneering and one extraordinary vision.
Philipp Kolb ·
MDRUDW – Around the World with a Backpack. At first glance, it may look like the classic adventure of someone leaving everything behind. In reality, it is my deeply personal journey through life – shaped by uncompromising excellence, difficult setbacks, digital pioneering and an unbreakable determination to keep moving forward.
I am Philipp, 35. And this is the story of how I traded the perfectly pressed suit of luxury hospitality for the freedom of an unscripted life.
CHAPTER 1
A FOUNDATION BUILT ON PERFECTION
My story begins in a world where perfection is not the goal, but the minimum standard.
I completed my professional training as a hotel specialist at the renowned Hotel Dollenberg, a member of the exclusive Relais & Châteaux family. It was there that I learned how much the smallest details matter – and what it means to provide guests with the highest level of service every single day.
What followed were years of moving between renowned hotels in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I even gained valuable experience aboard a cruise ship. Every position shaped me, broadened my perspective and brought me one step closer to what was then my ultimate goal: a career in international luxury hospitality.
At the Steigenberger Academy in Bad Reichenhall, I complemented my practical experience with in-depth management knowledge. I completed my advanced qualification as a state-certified hotel business administrator with distinction.
The doors to executive positions in international luxury hospitality were wide open. My path seemed clearly mapped out.
But it did not feel like my own.
CHAPTER 2
MY FIRST ESCAPE – AND THE HARD LANDING
Although many doors were open to me after graduation, the career path ahead did not feel right. Among all the available opportunities, there was nothing that truly felt like the life I wanted to live.
So I made a decision that would change everything.
Within a very short time and with little preparation, I assembled my first set of travel gear. My flight took me from Zurich via Berlin, Istanbul and the United Arab Emirates to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Suddenly, the familiar world was behind me.
For months, I travelled through Asia with a backpack: from the mountains of Nepal to the intense impressions of India, the relaxed way of life in Thailand and finally Vietnam. It was my first major escape from a life that had previously been shaped by fixed routines, high expectations and clearly defined career paths.
But my journey ended differently from what I had planned.
A severe gum infection forced me to cut the trip short. Instead of continuing through Asia, I had to return to Germany. When I arrived in Frankfurt, the hard landing began.
To receive the necessary treatment at a private dental clinic, I spent several weeks living in a basic hotel near Frankfurt’s main railway station. The money I had worked so hard to save disappeared into medical bills and accommodation costs. The journey was over, my budget was nearly exhausted and continuing the trip was no longer possible.
In a very short time, limitless freedom had turned into one of the lowest points of my life.
But that was exactly where my way back began.
CHAPTER 3
FIGHTING MY WAY BACK TO THE TOP
After returning to Germany, I had to find a new direction. The great journey was over for the time being, my savings were almost gone and the road ahead was anything but clear.
Giving up was never an option.
After a few detours, my path initially took me to Lake Constance. At the historic Steigenberger Inselhotel in Konstanz, I worked as an F&B Supervisor and returned to the world I knew. Before long, however, I was drawn back to the city – this time to Mannheim.
There, I took on an enormous challenge: helping to shape and manage the Turmrestaurant in Ebertpark. For an entire year, almost everything was in my hands – from staff interviews and scheduling to purchasing, sales and the operational management of the restaurant, bar and events.
It was an intense period filled with responsibility. At the same time, it proved that I could create structures, lead people and guide a complex project into calmer waters, even under difficult conditions.
Once the business was running smoothly, I deliberately began looking for a new challenge outside the hospitality industry.
I made a career change and joined Buhl Personal as a personnel coordinator. But after barely two months, I faced another setback: I was made redundant following the consolidation of company locations and a shortage of clients.
Once again, a new path ended before it had truly begun.
I then joined a small, family-run property company. My role was to establish new structures and manage luxury properties. From the outside, it looked like another professional fresh start, but on a personal level, it was not meant to work.
Yet even during my period of paid leave before my contract with Buhl Personal officially ended, something else had already begun to take shape.
The idea of the great journey had returned – and this time, it was going to become more than a dream.
CHAPTER 4
THE BIRTH OF A VISION
**From AI to My own code**
During my period of paid leave, the old spark came back to life.
Over the course of many sleepless nights, I began using Google Maps and Google’s Gemini AI to plan an enormous route: an overland journey from Mannheim to Asia. What initially seemed like a crazy idea gradually developed into a clear and tangible vision.
I experimented with artificial intelligence, designed the first logos and worked more deeply on every detail of the project. The more time I invested, the clearer it became: this time, I was not going to leave it as a dream.
The decisive moment came during a meeting with my good friend Pascalis, Creative Director and owner of the online marketing agency DIREKT HIER. I told him about my idea and introduced him to the project.
Pascalis did not hesitate. Within just a few hours, he registered the domain www.MDRUDW.de for me.
Suddenly, my vision had a name and a permanent home on the internet.
But a simple website was not enough for me. After some unsatisfying experiments with Carrd.co and spending money on expensive website builders, I made a radical decision:
I would build the entire platform myself – from the ground up.
From the concept and design to the features and finished website, everything was created through my own work. I programmed a privacy-friendly, tracking-free live map and even developed my own content management system. It allows me to publish new stories independently from anywhere in the world.
I also wanted MDRUDW to have one consistent identity across the internet. That is why I secured the name on the most important platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Threads and X.
What began as a late-night idea had become a real digital home for my journey.
CHAPTER 5
BASE CAMP ALLGÄU
**The Calm Before the Great Departure**
After turbulent years shaped by the pace of city life and several unexpected professional changes, I have made a deliberate decision for the final phase before my departure.
For the time being, I am leaving the pressure of management behind and moving to the Bavarian Alps. In the Allgäu region, I will work as a Chef de Rang at a renowned four-star boutique hotel.
Thanks to my professional training and experience, it is a role that feels familiar to me. At the same time, it gives me exactly the freedom I need right now.
The Allgäu will become my personal base camp.
Here, I will secure my travel budget, complete my equipment step by step and test and compare everything directly on the mountain ridges outside my front door. While service continues down in the valley, I will keep bringing MDRUDW to life online.
The website is ready. The code has been written. The social media channels are waiting.
From the Alps, I am now looking towards the horizon.
On 1 April 2027, the greatest adventure of my life will begin: an overland journey to Asia.
No flights. No rush. No filters.