Raffles Europejski Warsaw

After an almost 5 years long reconstruction, in 2018, Europejski proudly returned to Warsaw, becoming a prominent symbol of the city and Poland to guests from all around the world. The intent of the owners was for it to represent everything that is best in Polish culture and craftsmanship. The task of materializing investor’s vision was bestowed upon SUD Architectes, while hotel interiors were designed by a team of architects: Boriš Kudlička with WWAA, APA Wojciechowski studio and architectonic studio Lazáro Rosa Violán with BDM Architekci. Together they created a multifunctional building, which harmoniously combines rich Polish traditions with what the country has to offer to the world today.

Paying Homage to The Nation’s Artistic Renaissance
Dating back to 1857, the neo-renaissance palace built by Enrico Marconi and renowned as a Grand Dame of European hotels during the 19th century, has been, over the last four years, painstakingly restored to its pre-war glory. Proudly Polish, the elegant interiors showcase the very best of modern and contemporary Polish art, with a carefully curated Hotel Europejski collection by Anda Rottenberg, a former Director of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art. The Hotel Europejski Art Collection consists of almost 500 artworks created by more than 120 artists, including the legend of Polish Avant-garde Tadeusz Kantor, and the most important representatives of contemporary Polish art such as Wilhelm Sasnal, Monika Sosnowska or Turner Prize nominee Goshka Macuga.

Not only art but also the skill of Polish craftsmanship is represented within the hotel, whether in the lighting, in the carved burl wood headboards, the parquetry floors or the Warsaw skyline etched into the grey marble bathroom walls, rooting Raffles Europejski firmly in Poland. This sense of place is emphasised by the venerated hotel’s location on the historic Royal Route, with views from spacious and elegant guestrooms onto the Old Town, the Presidential Palace and, across the city’s biggest square, to the eternal flame burning at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the leafy Saxon Gardens behind.

The 106 rooms and suites are classically stylish with blackened oak floors, contemporary Polish art, a corner library and sleek marble-clad bathrooms with Art Deco touches. But the jewel in the crown is the Presidential Suite, spread over a magnificent 293 square metres, and home to a 19th century piano, a reminder that this room was once host to recitals and piano concerts in another chapter of its rich history.

Interior Details
Wood
Wood is key to understand the idea behind the decor of the hotel. Being the most historical material used in Polish architecture tradition, as well as the most associated construction material with it, it reflects the true spirit of Warsaw and Poland. Manufactured by Polish artisans and carpenters, through wood Raffles Europejski Warsaw references its iconic predecessor – Hotel Europejski – by, for example, restoring the original parquet patterns as seen in archival photographs.

Sculpture
Behind the reception desk is an original project by WWAA architecture studio and Boris Kudlička, also responsible for the interior decor. It depicts the city of Warsaw through its multi-faceted structure of carved, 3D-printed cubes.

Carpets
Each suite and apartment is decorated with hand-made carpets, made from the finest quality wool. The inspiration behind its intricate pattern was actually the city of Warsaw itself, as its urban plan from the XIX century was embedded into the design.

Bathrooms
The hotel bathrooms are fully tiled in grey marble mosaic which shows Warshaw’s skyline with its most characteristic buildings. The polished chrome or champagne of the Dornbracht CL.1, Tara.Logic, Tara and MEM series fittings installed here either form a harmonious symbiosis with the stone-coloured surfaces or create a striking highlight.

Interior design: WWAA + APA Wojciechowski + Boris Kudlička
Architects: Henryk Marconi, renovation by SUD Architects