The Regent Esplanade Hotel is a hotel in Zagreb, Croatia. It was built in 1925 to provide accommodation for passengers of the famous Orient Express train, which traveled between Paris and Istanbul.
Contents |
In 1917, an international tender was announced in which a number of prominent architects participated, including the famous Swiss architect Adolf Loos, who however was not awarded the contract. The winner was Germany's, Otto Rehnig, whose original plans were modified by the Zagreb architect Dionis Sunko. Today, most people consider Sunko to have been the architect of this building from the Belle Epoque period. The hotel was given the name "Esplanade," which in its original form has the meaning "field", probably because it was built on a vast plain to the west of the station.
The hotel was the center of Zagreb social life, especially in the 1920s, when it attracted amorous couples. According to legend, the first Croatian striptease party was held there at a farewell celebration for an Italian count. At that time, the hotel also operated a casino that became known for several incidents related to prostitution, after which the casino was closed. During World War II, the hotel was a gathering place for German officers, who formed a kind of Gestapo headquarters there. The Germans organized a number of opportunities there.
In 1964 the hotel became part of the InterContinental Hotel group, and in 1968 was nominated as the best hotel among the 62 InterContinental hotels in Europe and the Middle East. In 1975 the hotel received a medal from President Josip Broz Tito with a golden wreath. Throughout the 20th century the hotel was the site of key social events of the Croatian capital. Many world famous personalities have stayed there, including: Josephine Baker, Charles Lindberg, Orson Welles, Vivien Leigh, Alfred Hitchcock, Leonid Brezhnev, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Louis Armstrong, Francis Ford Coppola, Queen Elizabeth II, Ella Fitzgerald, Richard Nixon, Pele, Catherine Deneuve, Tina Turner, Samantha Fox, Nelson Piquet, Woody Allen, Garry Kasparov, and Pierce Brosnan.
Renovation of the hotel was completed on May 18, 2004 when the hotel opened its doors under the name of The Regent Esplanade Zagreb. By joining the Regent luxury hotel chain, it became the first Regent hotel in Europe and the seventh in the world. The Hotel Esplanade continues its long tradition of providing high standards of catering, and its Emerald ceremonial hall is today the venue of many important public events.