bg Varna

Grand Hotel London

- Musala Street 3 -
The residential building, which was erected in 1912, was built according to the design of the Bulgarian architect . The construction was commissioned by the Armenian merchant and entrepreneur Parsek Suzmejan to house the first grand hotel in Varna, the Grand Hotel . All the furniture was imported from Western Europe and central steam heating was installed, and access to hot and cold water is provided in every room. It has long been one of the tallest buildings in the city and the first elevator in the city was also installed here. Petar Antonov, the long-time butler of the Italian Consulate Villa Asareto, has been appointed as the manager of the hotel.
The project of the Bulgarian architect Dabko Dabkov
The hotel quickly became one of the symbols of Varna, which often decorates postcards, photographs, and advertisements. Two iconic restaurants opened its door on the first two floors of the hotel. The first-class restaurant named Elite, which imports European cuisine and French wines, and the renowned cafe called London with owner Damyan Angelov, which is quickly becoming the center of the intellectual and financial elite of Varna. In the 1920s, the London Casino opened its doors here, comfortably furnished, with an orchestra conducted by Kosta Kirov. Many foreign guests stayed at the Grand Hotel London, but this became much less in the period in the early 20th century when Bulgaria took part in many wars. After the , the building was nationalized, and a large part of the furniture has been requisitioned by private individuals. The political changes in Bulgaria since 1989 gave the hotel the opportunity to restore its name and past glory.
One of the postcards that show the building
The northern and southern sides of the building, which is built in the styles of Art Nouveau and Neo-Baroque, are almost identical. The top part of both sides is lavishly adorned with lion head , a , as well as a . The interrupted that separates this part from the rest of the building, is supported by . The on which the corbels are placed also feature another mascaron. The balconies, which are secured with a beautifully decorated curved wrought iron railing, are no matter the size, all supported by two corbels, which are embellished with foliage. The fragments that are placed underneath the windows are all decorated with impressive cartouches. On the southern side of the building, which features two , you'll see a lovely that houses the cafe and restaurant of the hotel. The entrance on this side of the building is covered by an and surrounded by two fragments, which are adorned with , a decorative vase, and acanthus foliage.
The London Casino Orchestra in 1923 including conductor Kosta Kirov