View of the empty building of the former Hotel Astoria at Willy- Brandt- Platz in Leipzig in Saxony. The luxurious building between Kurt Schumacher Strasse and Gerberstrasse was one of the most notable hotels in the German Democratic Republic ( GDR ), but has been vacant since its closure in 1997 and is threatened by decay. Owner of a listed building complex is the U.S. investment firm Blackstone Group