Every summer, a familiar complaint echoes across Western Europe’s major capitals and iconic tourist hubs: the crowds are simply too big. The continent’s most beautiful, world-famous destinations are being completely overwhelmed by peak-season travellers, leaving these global hotspots struggling to cope with the sheer volume of influx. And yet slightly more adventurous travellers who instead venture eastwards to explore the Balkan states can expect a completely different experience. Just consider that more than 100 million international tourists visited France last year, while 2.4 million visited Romania.
Malta-based hospitality group Corinthia Hotels has been paying attention and is betting that affluent tourists will increasingly seek to sidestep oversubscribed destinations in the future.
This year it opened a 30-key property right in the centre of the Romanian capital of Bucharest. Housed in the city’s original luxury hotel, the remodelled and renovated Grand Hotel du Boulevard, has now become Corinthia Bucharest and is delivering a level of luxury that simply didn’t exist here previously. The crowds may not have discovered Bucharest yet, but this fascinating city is well worth exploring. With a finessed culinary offering and high level of sophistication, this new hotel – still quiet for now – feels like it’s set to become the most desirable city hotel in the country.
In Short:
Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard Bucharest is a class act in an underrated city – both the hotel and its surroundings are well worth discovering.
The Location
Close to perfect. The hotel faces the chichi Calea Victoriei, which becomes a social hub for the entire city when it’s pedestrianised on weekends from April to October. Amble five minutes in the opposite direction and the cobblestoned Old Town beckons: a mishmash of (mostly mid-market) restaurants, bars, shops and galleries, it’s one of the liveliest parts of the city. Save for the gargantuan Palace of Parliament, the world’s third-largest building and a must-visit landmark, pretty much every other attraction a tourist might wish to see lies within walking distance.
The Background
When it opened in 1873, Bucharest’s Grand Hotel du Boulevard redefined standards of hospitality in the city. It was the first hotel with electricity, running water and an elevator, and promptly became the most in-demand address in town for visiting royalty and dignitaries. That glamour declined significantly in the following century, when Romania fell under Communist rule, but with the nation again on the ascendancy – its economy continues to improve even as much of Europe battles ongoing uncertainty – and its tourism industry growing, Corinthia Hotels felt Bucharest was ready for its first ultra-high-end hotel.
Working with local investors, they have meticulously renovated and reformatted the Belle Époque property, reducing its inventory from 80 bedrooms to just 30 and adding a host of new facilities. The result is a property that could competently compete against top-tier addresses in London or Florence, though it may take some time before that potential is put to the test. Room rates here are significantly above what you’ll pay elsewhere in the city, so the hotel’s long-term success will ultimately depend on highly affluent foreign visitors trusting that Bucharest will deliver a great holiday experience. (It does, by the way, but with local tourism authorities doing so little to promote the city internationally the word has yet to get out.)
The Guests & Ambiance
The hotel is fast gaining recognition as the most luxurious place to stay in Bucharest. Though it was fairly empty during my stay, expect to see a smattering of Romanian socialites alongside affluent travellers and big-wig businesspeople all happy to splurge on what is the most expensive hotel in the capital.
The Rooms & Suites
Oddly, Corinthia Bucharest marketing material consistently claims the 30-key hotel is an ‘all-suite’ property. This isn't entirely correct: as there are a small number of conventional rooms within its inventory. Still, whether you choose a room or suite, all the accommodations are impressive: behind the beds, hand-painted murals in shimmering gold leaf depict birds slumbering in cherry blossom; toiletries are from the Florentine brand Santa Maria Novella – and smell fabulous; living rooms are enhanced with fresh bouquets from the hotel’s on-site florists. With rooms’ dimensions the same across each storey of the building, the sun-trap corner suites 107, 207 and 307 are worth requesting for their wraparound views and the gorgeous golden light that illuminates them come evening.
The Dining
I spontaneously said ‘wow’ when arriving at Boulevard 73 for my first breakfast at the property (a leisurely affair, with an a la carte menu of international staples served by white-tuxxed waiters). The original hotel’s immaculately restored ballroom, the dining room is the antithesis of minimalist: a mountain of flowers sits at the entrance; colossal Murano-glass chandeliers sparkle from above; every surface is washed in shimmering golds or duck-egg blue. From Lisbon, newly installed chef Pedro Mendes is working hard to curate a culinary experience that fuses Portuguese and Romanian elements and matches the room’s sense of occasion and beauty.
The resulting dishes, like a glossy-green tower of leek, oysters and sea herbs, or trout folded like a Swiss roll and served with liquified carrot and kefir, are delicate, different and right up there with the most refined you’ll find in the city, even if my lunch here was compromised by the lack of atmosphere – I was accompanied by just one other table and felt rather exposed as a result. I suspect that’s a consequence of the prices, which at SAR1,090 for an eight-course menu are seriously punchy by local standards.
Serving a Mediterranean menu next door, Sass’ Restaurant and Lounge is a sibling to the eponymous Monaco venue and adopts its live-entertainment concept with performances seven nights a week. I ate as two talented young singers belted out impressive renditions of classic ballads and ‘80s and ‘90s pop hits (think At Last and Careless Whisper) that had me dancing along in my seat. Luckily their appearance complements a great dining experience rather than distracts from any shortcomings. Though I felt the evening’s insalubrious, all-red lighting was tacky and obscured the panache of the jungle-themed room, my meal was otherwise a hit. It’s hardly an original dish, but my black cod with miso was exceptional; for dessert, the creme brulee with pistachio and praline was total, luscious decadence.
Wellness & Spa
Much of the hotel’s top floor is given over to wellness facilities, and they’re impressive for a 30-key city property. With its walls decorated with moulds of Romanian wildflowers in full bloom, the handsome spa is the first in the city to offer treatments using products from Britain’s Wildsmith Skin and 111Skin and is complemented by a Himalayan salt sauna and steam room. There’s also a discreet hair salon and a small but sufficient gym packed with Technogym equipment and a fancy digital display that delivers on-demand fitness classes.
The Staff
With Bucharest’s tourism industry still in its infancy, visitors from the Middle East who are accustomed to attentive, friendly service might find locals’ manner brisque and blunt – the approach throughout the city is efficient rather than friendly. But the Corinthia operates on a different level: its experienced team know how to cater to international travellers and deliver a far more polished performance than you’ll find in so many other places.
Sustainability & Accessibility
Initiatives are in place to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill; restaurants have established partnerships with nearby farms to source produce locally. And when it comes to accessibility, both the Boulevard 73 and Sass’ Restaurant & Lounge are fully accessible. And there is one accessible room on the first floor.
Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard Bucharest,
Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 21, Bucharest, Romania
Prices from €695/SAR3,000 per night
Book your stay here
@corinthiabucharest
