Beginning At the beginning of the 20th century, the two hotels at the time (
Palace Hotel Zagreb and Hotel Jägerhorn) became too small for the increasing number of passengers arriving in Zagreb (then
Austria-Hungary) on the famous
Orient Express, which traveled from
Paris to
Istanbul. In order to meet the needs of the developing city, the construction of a new, luxurious hotel became a priority. The hotel was to be built on a wide area (Spanish esplanade), in the immediate vicinity of
the railway station - at that time the only connection with Europe and the rest of the world - which was one of the stations of the famous
Orient Express on the route
Paris-
Venice-
Istanbul. In 1917, an international tender was announced in which a number of prominent architects participated, including the famous Austrian architect
Adolf Loos, who however was not awarded the contract. The winner was Germany's
Otto Rehnig, whose original plans were modified by the Zagreb architect Dionis Sunko. Today, most people consider Sunko to have been the architect of this building from the
Belle Epoque period. The hotel was given the name "Esplanade," which in its original form has the meaning "field", probably because it was built on a vast plain to the west of the station. The hotel was completed in 26 months and was opened on 22 April 1925 with over 200 guests attended the grand opening. Among the guests were the
mayor of Zagreb, Mr.
Vjekoslav Heinzel, consuls, bankers, journalists, as well as many others.
1920s The hotel was the center of Zagreb social life, especially in the 1920s, when it attracted amorous couples. According to legend, the first Croatian
striptease party was held there at a farewell celebration for an Italian count. The first striptease took place at an Italian count's farewell party, where
caviar and
champagne were served, and some of the ladies present decided to get rid of their clothes and shoes, leaving them in only their underwear. It was the
Miss Yugoslavia pageant in 1926, organized by "Fanamenta", a film company from
Berlin. Famous singers, including
Ivo Robić, played in Hotel Esplanade. Guests at the hotel included
Asta Nielsen, a famous silent film star, and the theater and film actress
Gitta Alpar, who was so popular in Zagreb that her fans would besiege the train station and the Esplanade for hours. Likewise, crowds awaited the arrival of the queen of Parisian cabaret, singer and dancer,
Josephine Baker. The European shoe king,
Tomáš Baťa, also stayed at the hotel, as did the greatest film lover of the time,
Vladimir Gaidarov. Other guests include;
Charles Lindbergh,
Jules Romains,
Abbas II of Egypt and others.
II World War During World War II, Esplanade was used by the
Gestapo and the
Wehrmacht. At the numerous parties that the Germans organized in the hotel, the most closely guarded information could be obtained. The war atmosphere was best described by the Italian writer,
Curzio Malaparte, in his novella “
Kaputt”. During 1943, he was a war correspondent for a Roman newspaper from Zagreb. Following the German surrender in 1945, the hotel was used as a soup kitchen for starving residents.
Renovations and chain join Esplanade was renovated for the first time in 1957. One of the first guests of the renovated Esplanade was the famous Italian tenor
Mario del Monaco,
Arthur Rubinstein,
Silvana Pampanini,
Yul Brynner,
Jack Palance,
Rossana Podestà,
Belinda Lee,
Liana Orfei,
Orson Welles,
Anita Ekberg and many other eminent artists stayed at the Esplanade.
Giuseppe de Santis, who was filming the film "
The Road a Year Long", stayed at the hotel for several weeks. For short period of time, The Emerald Ball room was used as diplomatic gathering for politicians and important people such as
Queen Elizabeth II,
Nikita Khrushchev,
Leonid Brezhnev,
Norodom Sihanouk,
Richard Nixon,
Aldo Moro,
Milton Obote, On November 6, 1964, the hotel joined
Pan Am's
Inter-Continental Hotels chain, following a $1 million renovation, and was renamed
Hotel Esplanade Intercontinental. In 1966, the name was adjusted slightly, to
Hotel Esplanade Inter-Continental, when the chain was renamed. In 1967, first casino in Croatia was opened. In the 1990s, the hotel was privatized, and in 2002 it was acquired by the Austrian WSF-Gruppe. In 1996, Esplanade is the first Croatian hotel to have its own website. • The Haute Grandeur Global Award presented the Esplanade with awards for hotel business practice,
Zinfandel’s Restaurant and the Health Club in several categories. •
Chef Ana Grgic’s
risotto was named one of the 101 best in the world by
Riso Gallo Gastro Guide. Zinfandel’s restaurant has been feted in the Fodor’s Choice and received
Michelin Guide recommendation as well as our chic
Le Bistro restaurant – the only hotel restaurants in
Croatia. • In 2012, it was named the Best Hotel in Croatia in all three categories (the best hotel, the best service and the best luxury hotel) by
TripAdvisor. ==In popular culture==