Constantza
Descriptions of hotels
Author: ARDELEANU KONSTANTIN
During the Ottoman times there were two hotels, “Danubiu” and “Bizanţ”, probably built in relation to the British railway company, institutions which continued to exist after 1878 [1]. Hotel Gambetta was mentioned in 1879 [2] and “Hotel d’Angleterre” was built by about 1880 [3]. The old building was demolished in early 20th century, and a new establishment was erected on the same site, under the name of Regina Hotel. It was a meeting place of the cultural elite of Constanţa, and hosted several scientific and literary circles, such as the “Circle of Letters, Arts and Sports”.
Hotel “Terminus” (“Carol I”) was built by an English society in 1882, according to the plans of architect Al. Orăscu, with H. Guaracino as entrepreneur. It was a solid building of stone and bricks, with 90 large rooms, beautifully furnished. It remained a fashionable establishment throughout this period, and hosted parties and charitable events all over the year [4].
“Hotel Palace” was specially designed to serve the casino completed in 1910. According to the lease contract, the concessionary of the casino, Baron Edgard de Marcay, undertook to build a hotel with 200 rooms. It was inaugurated in July 1914, the construction being planned by architect Cazonul [5].
Other hotels were “Intim” (1906), “Englitera” (1909) [6], “Grand”, “French Hotel” (“Regnier”), “Villa Veneţie”, “Regal”, “Europe” [7]. Regal” was placed in the city centre, had 50 rooms and was led by the Gheorghiu brothers. “Europe” had a very good restaurant, a brewery, a cinema, a national orchestra, and was administered by Gheorghe Stavridi.
In 1892 a regulation of the municipality established two categories of hotels, classified according to position and services: the best were those from the southern part of the city, between the seacoast and the Independence Square (Metropol, Panaioti, Carol I); those from the rest of the city, with Ovidiu, Gambetta, Orient, Belvedere, and Transilvania as the most important establishments [8].
In 1910 there were recorded the following hotels: Carol (Elisabeta), Regina, Splendid, Metropol (Catargiu), Regnier (Basarab), Regal and Continental (Carol), Naţional, Bucureşti şi Belvedere (Traian), Central and Transilvania close to the railway station, Macedonia on Cuza Vodă [9].
Picture 2.1.4.1_1 Palace Hotel (1913)
Picture 2.1.4.1_2 Regal Hotel (1914)
Picture 2.1.4.1_3 Continental Hotel (1918)
Picture 2.1.4.1_4 The English Hotel
Source: http://constanta-imagini-vechi.blogspot.ro/
Picture 2.1.4.1_5 Europa Hotel
Picture 2.1.4.1_6 Intim Hotel
Source: http://constanta-imagini-vechi.blogspot.ro/
Picture 2.4.2.1_7 Grand Hotel
Source: www.biblioteca.ct.ro
[1] M. D. Ionescu, Cercetări asupra oraşului Constanţa. Geografie şi istorie (Bucharest: Tipografia şi Fonderia de litere Thoma Basilescu, 1897), 77; Adrian Rădulescu, Stoica Lascu, Puiu Haşotti, Ghid de oraş. Constanţa (Bucharest: Sport Turism, 1985), 66.
[2] Doina Păuleanu, Axa Est–Vest. Constanţa – Istorie şi dinamică interculturală, second edition (Constanţa: Fundaţia Pro Arte, 2000), 124–125.
[3] Ibid., 166.
[4] Ibid., 111–117.
[5] Adrian Rădulescu, Stoica Lascu, Puiu Haşotti, Ghid de oraş. Constanţa (Bucharest: Sport Turism, 1985), 74; Păuleanu, Axa Est–Vest, 97–99; Păuleanu, Constanţa. Spectacolul modernităţii târzii. 1878–1928 (Constanţa: Muzeului de Artă Constanţa, 2005), vol. II, 89–96; Constantin Cheramidoglu, “La hotel, în Constanţa veche”, Poliţia impact, October 2009, 25–26.
[6] Mariana Cojoc, Constanţa – port internaţional. Comerţ exterior al României prin portul Constanţa 1878–1939 (Bucharest: Cartea Universitară, 2006), 56–57.
[7] Păuleanu, Axa Est–Vest, 197–198; Cheramidoglu, “La hotel”, 25–26.
[8] Păuleanu, Constanţa. Aventura unui proiect european (Constanţa: Ex Ponto, 2003), 147.
[9] Eadem, Constanţa. Spectacolul, I, 221–223.
References
Archival sources:
Serviciul Judeţean Constanţa al Arhivelor Naţionale (The National Archives, Constanţa Branch), Primăria municipiului Constanţa (The Municipality of Constanţa), files starting with 1878.
Bibliography:
Cojoc, Mariana , Constanţa – port internaţional. Comerţ exterior al României prin portul Constanţa 1878–1939 [Constanţa – International Port. Romania’s Foreign Trade through the Port of Constanţa 1878–1939] (Bucharest: Cartea Universitară, 2006).
Constantin Cheramidoglu, “La hotel, în Constanţa veche”, Poliţia impact, October 2009, 25–26.
Ionescu, M. D., Cercetări asupra oraşului Constanţa. Geografie şi istorie [Researches on the City of Constanţa. Geography and History] (Bucharest: Tipografia şi Fonderia de Litere Thoma Basilescu, 1897).
Păuleanu, Doina, Axa Est–Vest. Constanţa – Istorie şi dinamică interculturală [The East – West Axis. Constanţa – History and Intercultural Dynamics], second edition (Constanţa: Fundaţia Pro Arte, 2000).
Păuleanu, Doina, Constanţa. Aventura unui proiect european [Constanţa. The Adventure of a European Project] (Constanţa: Ex Ponto, 2003).
Păuleanu, Doina, Constanţa. Spectacolul modernităţii târzii. 1878–1928 [Constanţa. The Show of Late Modernity. 1878–1917] (Constanţa: Muzeului de Artă Constanţa, 2005).
Rădulescu, Adrian, Lascu, Stoica, Haşotti, Puiu, Ghid de oraş. Constanţa [City Guidebook. Constanţa] (Bucharest: Sport Turism, 1985).
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