Raffles Europejski - Warsaw and the world of real luxury

Warsaw's first luxury hotel, the Europejski officially reopened this month and I visited it today - very impressive. Operated by Raffles Hotels and Resorts, it's the eleventh Raffles hotel in the world and the second in Europe after Paris.

In my working life, walking into five-star hotels is a weekly occurrence, but walking into the Raffles Europejski, in my best suit, polished Loakes and silk tie, I still felt slightly ill at ease, intimidated by the unfamiliar air of super luxury, global elites and ultra high-net worth individuals. The biggest suite is over 300 square metres, expandable to 500, where families travelling with their security detail can be entirely comfortable. The presence of a Raffles in Warsaw has put the city on the map for some of the world's wealthiest people, who'd not envisage staying at a lesser establishment. Inside, it is awe-inspiring, not least for its collection of fine art. If there were such a thing as a six-star hotel, this would be it. (Note the characteristic Warsaw street lights - pastoralki - 'croziers')

Italianate in style, designed by an Italian (Enrico Marconi) with rounded corners and neo-classical elements, the Europejski opened its doors on 1 January, 1857. Severely damaged during WW2, the pre-war owners were in the process of rebuilding it when, in 1948 it was seized by the communist government, which turned the place into a military academy. It was restored as a (state-owned) hotel in the late 1950s; I remember it in the 1970s functioning as part of the Orbis group as the 'Bristol i Europejski', run as a single entity with the Bristol hotel across Krakowskie Przedmieście.

The heirs of the former owners got the Europejski back from the state, and together with external investors and French hotel group Accor began the latest restoration in 2005. During the long rebuild, on the northern side (facing ul. Ossolińskich), there was a scruffy fine-dining place called U Kucharzy (lit. At the Cooks') with the decor of a communist-era toilet (all chipped white tiles) where you could eat an authentic communist-era meal served by surly staff. Food wasn't bad though. All this is now a memory, the new Raffles bringing a level of luxury as yet unseen in any Warsaw hotel.

A Raffles in London? In two years' time. The first Raffles hotel is, of course, in Singapore, opened in 1897 and named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of the city state.

All very British you might think, but look at this from the Daily Telegraph: "The development will be carried out jointly by AccorHotels, and the joint-owners: the Hinduja Group and Spanish construction firm Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarrollos, who combined to purchase the building from the Ministry of Defence in 2016 for a reported £350m."

In other words, a French chain will be operating a hotel owned by Indian and Spanish capital, in  the former British War Office building. Further evidence of Britain selling itself out. I must say, I can see the sense of Polish premier Mateusz Morawiecki's push for economic patriotism when I think of how great British firms have sold themselves to foreign capital; Cadbury's, Pilkingtons, Freightliner, British Oxygen Company, ARM, Rolls-Royce Motors, Jaguar Land Rover. And a propos of luxury cars, I caught this magnificent FSO Warszawa 200 on the corner of Pl. Piłsudskiego...

The FSO Warszawa was a licence-built copy of the Soviet GAZ M20 Pobieda; this is the modernised version from the late 1950s (without the arrowhead mascot of the previous Warszawa M20-57, but with the original indicators rather than the larger ones of the Warszawa 201 (1960).

This time three years ago:
The ballad of Heniek and Ziutek

This time four years ago:
Yorkshire's yellow bicycles

This time nine years ago:
Horse-drawn in the Tatras

This time ten years ago:
Rain, wind and fire

This time 11 years ago:
The Road beckons