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The new InterContinental Bucharest hotel is now open

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A year after pulling out of its original high rise Bucharest property (now rebranded as Grand Hotel Bucharest), the InterContinental brand is back in Romania.

The InterContinental Athenee Palace Bucharest hotel opened on Monday.

This not a new hotel, far from it. It originally opened in 1914, originally in art nouveau style but with its exteriors later reimagined in art deco.

InterContinental Athenee Palace Bucharest

Following a massive refurbishment in the 1990’s, the hotel was managed by Hilton for 25 years until an overnight rebrand this week.

There are reports that some of the rooms were renovated in 2021 but it isn’t clear exactly what work has been done to bring it up to InterContinental standards. It is operated by the same group that runs the existing Crowne Plaza Bucharest. Rates are currently very low with rooms from €136 per night.

The hotel website is here.


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Comments (111)

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  • dundj says:

    Not necessarily a perfect pair of alternatives for Hilton Gold or Diamond status holders, I’d suggest the DT Westerwood or Dunblane Hydro as an alternative to the Hilton Glasgow if interested in a pool.

    Dunblane better for the breakfast and Westerwood better for upgrades and drinks vouchers to compensate for the lack of an executive lounge. Plus, both tend to be cheaper and with decent to very good restaurants too.

    • His Holyness says:

      Dunblane looks prime for a Home Office hotel.

      • dundj says:

        I’d say DT Queensferry or Strathclyde would be more likely for that.

        • His Holyness says:

          Queensferry is a fully refurbished hotel run by a family owned company. Dunblane is falling down. Just predict which property could be a Britannia and you got your Home Office hotel, OK, except for maybe HGI Snowdonia.
          Klarent (Strathyclyde, EDI AP, DT GLA, Carlton) already have a contract with Holyrood for refugees for Ukrainians.

          • dundj says:

            Personally I have have no time for Cairn Hotel Group who own Queensferry amongst many others and therefore would be more suited to a HO contract. Dunblane is a far older building owned by Ability (Hilton Newcastle, Liverpool, Syon Park etc). Klarent surprised me having a contract to temporarily house people from Ukraine though no idea which hotels are in use.

          • His Holyness says:

            Those Ability hotels have something in common… what could it be? 😂
            Since when is Hilton Newcastle owned by Ability?

          • dundj says:

            I had Newcastle on my brain for a completely different reason yesterday, so no idea why I added that in when it I know who owns it, and who previously owned it too. A couple of other hotels they own are Hampton and DT though around the country too.

  • His Holyness says:

    Pool charge is delayed to 09JAN
    No exceptions for HH Members.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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