Writer: Helena Bergström
The Grand Hotel in Sopot, Poland, will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary. We didn’t stay at the hotel, but we went on a guided historical tour, and that was it unbelievable exciting. The story of the hotel is at the same time a story about the whole of Europe, involving Hitler and Putin as well as Charles de Gaulle and Prince…
Grand Hotel and Sopot
When you visit Polish Sopot, you cannot miss the Grand Hotel (Sofitel Grand Sopot). The hotel rises majestically on the beach and radiates classic seaside resort luxury from the beginning of the last century. At the same time, this is a real living hotel, which in the summer is full of tourists.
1927: A casino palace is born by the sea
The Grand Hotel in Sopot opened its doors in 1927 as an exclusive casino hotel for the upper class. The beachfront location and proximity to the famous wooden pier made the hotel an obvious meeting place for European society, artists and politicians. Here spa life was mixed with international glamour. It doesn’t get more luxurious than this these days!
The hotel is built in a very stable and sturdy material, with reinforced concrete as a frame, and every detail was meticulously planned. The rooms had their own bathtub with both plain water and heated seawater in the taps (!) – an extreme luxury that was much talked about.
The golden age of the spa
Sopot was previously an established spa town and the Grand Hotel became its stunning crown jewel. Socialites flocked for the sea air, the music, the balls and the elegant salons. In those days, traveling was partly about resting, and partly about showing off in the right circles.
1930s: problems among the chandeliers
Behind the polished facade, Europe began to tremble. The Grand Hotel remained an exclusive resort, but tensions were also palpable in the corridors of the hotel, where political conversations became increasingly charged.
World War II: occupation and visit of Hitler
When war broke out, the hotel was taken over by the German occupiers. The solid construction, with reinforced concrete walls, was ideally suited for military purposes.
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Adolf Hitler used the hotel as a temporary headquarters for his operations after the invasion of Poland at the beginning of the war and stayed there from September 19 to 25, 1939.
One of the most fascinating anecdotes around the hotel tells about the commander of the Hel Peninsula, Józef Unrug. It is said that his coastal artillery could have targeted the hotel when Hitler was there, but Urug refused because he did not want to kill civilians.
The post-war period: new country and communist rule
When the war ended, Sopot ended up in Poland, under communist rule. The Grand Hotel suddenly became a state hotel, now open to workers, party officials and foreign guests from the Eastern Bloc.
The Cold War: diplomacy, discretion and dual worlds
During the Cold War, the Grand Hotel in Sopot became a meeting place between East and West. Now it was often journalists, politicians and business people who moved in the lobby, and the conversations could be about business as well as the exchange of information.
1967: Visit of Charles de Gaulle
One of the most famous people who stayed at the Grand Hotel in Sopot is the French general and later president Charles de Gaulle. He stayed at the hotel as a guest of honor during an official trip in 1967 and today you can still visit the hotel room that bears Charles de Gaulle’s name. The suite is 110 square meters in size and features a enormous balcony, can be booked for just under 3,000 euros per night.
The nineties: freedom and glamor again
When communism fell, the Grand Hotel returned to luxury and glamour. The hotel was renovated and once again celebrities, business elite and world leaders began to flock to the hotel in more relaxed forms.
21st century: Celebrities and world leaders…including Putin
Over the years, the Grand Hotel has been visited by many famous people, ranging from world leaders to artists. For example, we can mention Alfonso
Our guide explained that some guests are “given time to stay”. He himself spoke empathetically about the time when Prince was a guest at the hotel and needed special, extra-soft carpets to rest his feet, which became tired after long days in high-heeled shoes.
We also heard about Vladimir Putin’s visit to the hotel in 2009. Putin and his entourage booked half the hotel and paid for the stay with cash, which they carried in suitcases, which took the hotel staff a whole night to count… Fifteen snipers were placed on the roof and the FSB effectively ensured that none of the hotel’s other guests got too close to the supreme leader.
Today: History that lives
Today, the Grand Hotel in Sopot is a fully functional luxury hotel, where spas, restaurant visits, conferences and weddings blend with a hundred years of dramatic history. If you would like to hear more about the fascinating history, guided tours are sometimes offered at the hotel, taking you on a journey into the past.
The Grand Hotel in Sopot will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary
The Grand Hotel in Sopot opened its doors in 1927, meaning the hotel is quickly approaching its 100th anniversary. Our guide was very clear about this is coming should be celebrated, but we don’t know how exactly…
What can be concluded is that the Grand Hotel in Sopot is a monument to Europe’s turbulent 20th century. Few hotels can tell a story of spa life, war, dictators and democracy – while continuing to welcome new generations of travelers.
More inspiration about Sopot
Would you like to read more about Sopot? Feel free to be inspired by this report about a winter weekend in Sopot.
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