Lately, having a lot of work to do, Bucharest was like my second home. When it comes to choosing a place to stay, I like to look at the history of the accommodation, the design, architecture, and inspiration.
I've recently spent three nights at Hotel Cișmigiu, and I'd like to share my experience with you.
The Cişmigiu Hotel ist not just a hotel. It is a corner of history where tradition and modernity meet, a remnant of the past which still conveys a part of Bucharest’s cosmopolitan splendour. A place which has gone through a lot since it sprang into being more than a century ago, courtesy of the brilliant mind of engineer Nicolae Pissiota: world wars, a totalitarian regime as well as the current democratic system have left their mark directly and indirectly upon it.
It could not have been otherwise, since the hotel is located on the Elisabeta Avenue, one of the main arteries of the city and, at the same time, a route towards Western values. Cinema halls, bookshops, confectioneries with Romanian pâtisserie products and, last but not least, the renowned Gambrinus brewery have accompanied this eclectic building, which was constructed in the Art Nouveau style that dominated at the beginning of the 20th century.
It has gone through bombings, name changes (the communists having changed its
name from Palace Hotel to 6th March in 1948 and finally to Cişmigiu Hotel in 1965) and, last but not least, a nearly total fall into disuse at the end of the communist period. After the 1990s, having served as a poorly equipped student dorm, it was revived from the ashes of the communist era with the support of the Spanish firm HERCESA, thus reclaiming its charming Art Nouveau style.
Nowadays, the Cişmigiu Hotel with its bistro and the Gambrinus brewery is just as charming on the inside as it is on the outside. Large deluxe apartments with office area, sofa and all the necessary facilities – Wi-Fi, air conditioning, minibar etc. – are placed at your disposal. The 4-star-quality should not deceive you as regards the personnel (which is a 5-star one!). Located in the heart of the town and surrounded by buildings and institutions which retain the traces of three different historical periods – interbellic, communist, postcommunist –, the Cişmigiu Hotel is the ideal starting point for those who wish to explore the capital city of Romania with all its eclectic charm.
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