The Grand Hotel Bucharest is a 24-story high-rise five-star hotel situated near

University Square, Bucharest University Square () is located in downtown Bucharest, near the University of Bucharest. It is served by Universitate metro station. Four statues can be found in the University Square, in front of the university; they depict Ion Heliade Rădul ...

, in Sector 1. Opened in 1971 as the Inter-Continental Bucharest, it is a city landmark.

History

Designed by Dinu Hariton, Gheorghe Nădrag, Ion Moscu, and Romeo Belea, the hotel was part of a larger development that included the Bucharest National Theatre. Construction began in 1967, and the hotel opened on 23 May 1971 as the Inter-Continental Bucharest. At the time, it was the second tallest building in the city, after the

House of the Free Press The House of the Free Press ( ro, Casa Presei Libere) is a building in northern Bucharest, Romania, the tallest in the city between 1956 and 2007. History A horse race track was built in 1905 on the future site of the House of the Free Press. ...

. Although it no longer holds that title today, it is still the tallest hotel in Bucharest. It became the hotel of choice for members of the foreign press in Bucharest. During the

Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred ...

of 1989, the balconies of the Inter-Continental were used to report on the protests in the adjacent University Square. The hotel was renamed slightly in 2003, becoming the InterContinental Bucharest, when the chain was reorganized and dropped the hyphen from its name. In 2007 the hotel transitioned from a long-standing franchise agreement to a management contract with the

InterContinental Hotels Group InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts, is a British multinational hospitality company headquartered in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the F ...

. The hotel ceased to be managed by IHG on January 1, 2022, and was renamed Grand Hotel Bucharest. It is set for an EUR 21 million renovation, scheduled for completion in 2024.

Description

The building is designed so that each room has a unique panorama of the city. The highest 2 floors (21 and 22) contain a club lounge, conference rooms and a health centre with an outdoor terrace, indoor swimming pool and fitness centre. The hotel complies with the triskaidekaphobic numbering system of the floors. The first 12 levels above ground are numbered from 1 to 12 and the next 12 levels are numbered from 14 to 25. The Imperial Apartment at the 19th floor has two bedrooms and a total area of 240 square meters. The apartment contains white Italian walnut furniture polished with gold and

Murano glass Venetian glass () is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a soda–lime "metal" and is typically elaborately decorated, with various "hot" glass-forming techniques, as well as ...

light fixtures. In its living room there is a fully functioning Steinway & Sons white piano which was specially brought in for

Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and background Kenn ...

's stay at the hotel in winter 2007.

In culture

* Some scenes of the Romanian movie Nea Mărin Miliardar were shot in the Imperial Apartment of the Intercontinental Hotel Bucharest.

External links

Grand Hotel Bucharest official website

References

{{Tall buildings in Romania Skyscraper hotels in Bucharest Modernist architecture in Romania Hotel buildings completed in 1970 Hotels established in 1971 InterContinental hotels