Grand Hotel in Sopot
Actually Sofitel Grand Sopot, currently belonging to the Accor Group, originally Kasino-Hotel.
The story of this building is absolutely fascinating. Designed by Otto Kloeppel, Richard Kohnke and Erich Laue, built 1924-1927 during WWII became one of the Führer Headquarters. In September 1939 Polish Navy's commander disagreed to attack the building from Hel which could kill the Führer himself. At the end of the war the building was rescued from the Red Army planning to destroy it thanks to... a bottle of vodka given to the soldiers. At least a rumour says so. In the communist era the hotel homed the celebrities taking part in the famous Sopot International Song Festival and was a place where the leaders of the Polish anti-communist oposition were arested on 13 December 1981. In 1990 one of the first casinos in Poland was opened here.
The list of the guests is long and varied from Jan Kiepura to Krzysztof Krawczyk to Vladimir Putin to Shakira. Information on Wikipedia [EN | PL].
Grand Hotel in Sopot
Actually Sofitel Grand Sopot, currently belonging to the Accor Group, originally Kasino-Hotel.
The story of this building is absolutely fascinating. Designed by Otto Kloeppel, Richard Kohnke and Erich Laue, built 1924-1927 during WWII became one of the Führer Headquarters. In September 1939 Polish Navy's commander disagreed to attack the building from Hel which could kill the Führer himself. At the end of the war the building was rescued from the Red Army planning to destroy it thanks to... a bottle of vodka given to the soldiers. At least a rumour says so. In the communist era the hotel homed the celebrities taking part in the famous Sopot International Song Festival and was a place where the leaders of the Polish anti-communist oposition were arested on 13 December 1981. In 1990 one of the first casinos in Poland was opened here.
The list of the guests is long and varied from Jan Kiepura to Krzysztof Krawczyk to Vladimir Putin to Shakira. Information on Wikipedia [EN | PL].