Property development company Rafin is successively carrying out restoration work on the building of the Grand Hotel in Wroclaw, which was bombed during World War II. In June, after 76 years, the reconstruction (based on the original) of the tower with its distinctive dome, which was completely destroyed, was completed. However, the restoration work is part of the developer's broader strategy. In the future, the hotel is to operate under a new name and attract tourists with an attractive leisure offer.
Developer Rafin has been working on a project to renovate one of Wroclaw's historic hotels in recent years. The hotel in question is the Grand Hotel, located on Jozef Pilsudski Street in Wroclaw, opposite the Central Railway Station. Grzegorz Górka of Greg Architekci studio is responsible for the renovation project. The general contractor for the work is Silkbau.
historic hotel gets renovation
The Grand Hotel is one of several historic hotels in Wroclaw. Before the war, together with the Piast Hotel, it formed the representative gate of the city of Wroclaw, which welcomed visitors. At the beginning of the 20th century, the place, then known as Hôtel du Nord, was one of the most elegant buildings in Wroclaw.
In 1945, during the famous Siege of B reslau, the Grand was partially destroyed and waited for several decades for a decent renovation. Until 2017, when the Rafin company, taking possession of the building, began restoration work.
Hôtel du Nord on one of the postcards
© Refin
Rafin reports that all the walls and walls of the hotel have already been rebuilt. Only two front walls from the corner part of the building, from Pilsudski and Kollataja streets, where construction work is currently underway, have been saved from the historic building. The rest of the building, due to its poor technical condition, was only suitable for demolition.
The Grand Hotel during renovation work
© Rafin
However, the most interesting element of the historic building is the characteristic tower ending in a dome, which was completely destroyed during the war. It required a complete reconstruction. Refin boasts that it managed to rebuild it preserving the same shape, color scheme and the spire crowning the dome, which is typical of the building. The tower's restoration work was completed in late June.
The tower was rebuilt preserving its original shape and color
© Rafin
The Grand will turn into the Mövenpick Wrocław
The renovation work is being carried out as part of the expansion of the hotel, which in 2023 is already expected to operate under a new name: Mövenpick Wroclaw and attract tourists with its attractive offer. This is the result of a franchise agreement between Rafin and the Accor Group (which operates in the tourism market). According to the investor's information, the building will offer about 180 spacious luxury rooms, a restaurant, bar and conference rooms. The facility will also include a fitness center, spa and underground parking. The companies want the hotel to become a landmark of Wroclaw.
Visualization of the hotel's new design
vision: Greg Architekci
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first historic hotel owned by Rafin. The company also owns other similar buildings, including the Europejski, Polonia, Piast and Lothus hotels.
The renovation and refurbishment of the hotel is expected to be completed in 2023. It is estimated that the entire investment will cost PLN 60 million.
