George Miu: Sofia's Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Guarantees Top Quality Experience
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel companies.
Top services at Radisson Blu Grand Hotel, Sofia!
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History
Built at the end of the 1960s, the hotel is part of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage and is within the architectural ensemble shaping the National Assembly Square. Located at the heart of the city, the hotel is part of one of world’s biggest hotel chains – Carlson Rezidor HotelGroup. All rooms on its north fa?ade are overlooking the building of the Parliament right in front the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the National Gallery for Foreign Art and other cultural monuments. The latest design was appointed to the London-based worldwide recognized designer Francis Sultana. His elegant approach combines contemporary and classic design, leaving a sense of style from the art deco era. The guests can now enjoy not only custom-made furniture for the building’s interior but also art pieces by the world’s top contemporary artists.
Location
Radisson Blu Grand Hotel is situated right in the heart of the downtown, in the middle of the most notable historical monuments and attractions the city has to offer. It is in a busy interchange of Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., which is the continuation of the one of Sofia’s major thoroughfare Tsarigradsko shose (fastest connection with Sofia Airport), and Vasil Levski Blvd. The hotel enjoys excellent visibility and benefits from its proximity to the main roads in the city, connecting the downtown area with the business areas and its top location, nightlife diversity wise. The area is a gathering point for people having the most preferable places for going out, combining trendy restaurants with the best known night clubs, opera house, theaters, etc. In only just a short walk one can enjoy a great variety of restaurants, bars, clubs, galleries, shopping areas and all types of trendy places the downtown offers.
Radisson Blu Grand Hotel, Sofia currently has 142 rooms and apartments among which Business class and sumptuous Suits (with private balconies) giving unique views, a New York style restaurant on the Mezzanine level called Studio, due to the remarkable art pieces as part of its fully renovated interior inclusive of custom-made furniture, showcasing fresh international and local selections, a chic Lounge Bar, the place to enjoy a hot drink during the day or a fancy cocktail in the evening.
On the same Mezzanine level there is a fully renovated conference center in elegant contemporary design. The famous, especially for Wedding celebrations & dinner cocktails, ballroom, has now a rentable area of 290 square meters and a capacity of 240 delegates in theatre style, completed by 3 break-out rooms with a capacity of up to 50 seats. They all offer much natural lighting, a lighting control system and modern audio-visual equipment in line with the Radisson Blu Experience Meetings concept. It is a new way Meetings & Events re-vitalise the positioning of the brand in the important Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events arena, and differentiate the brand offerings from those of our competitors. Experience Meetings concept provides meeting planners and delegates with the highest level of consistent product and service delivery, including the Brain Food strategy. This is a product for meetings and conferences developed in the partnership between the 5* Chefs of Radisson Blu and well known nutrition experts. Research over the past few years has shown that eating the correct nutrients, at the right times, improves our ability to learn and concentrate, promotes quicker reactions and even lowers stress levels. These are all factors that can affect the quality of a meeting. Brain Food helps ensure that all meeting participants remain healthy and alert all the way through a meeting. It is being served in the specious foyer on the Mezzanine level, perfect also for quick snack, coffee or cocktail at the Lobby bar area.
A cozy Business Lounge with controlled access, guarantees privacy of the Business class guests and outside clients, who prefer to relax, read, catch up on e-mails, socialize or watch the favorite channels on 75” TV. This newly opened lounge, with inspirational atmosphere finished by contemporary art and natural daylight, offers comfortable seating areas to provide opportunities for semi-private meetings.
The hotel hosts a nightclub, well-known brand in the night life scene of Sofia for years, as well as a fully renovated Casino. Just recently a Luxurious Asian restaurant opened at the ground floor level, offering the view of the Parliament square from inside and also from its outside garden.
Yes I Can!
The core service philosophy of the Rezidor Hotel Group is the unique Yes I Can! attitude towards all guests every day. As a result, guests with any request are met with a positive response, and made to feel that their well-being is the sole priority of the member of staff assisting them.
Radisson Blu Grand Hotel, Sofia is proud to be the first Green Key Certificated Hotel in Bulgaria.
Green Key Award is the largest eco-label for accommodation, recognized and supported by the World Tourism Organization and UNEP.
This certificate guarantees to the guests that the hotel operates in a Think Planet way - reducing the environmental footprint without compromising comfort and quality: the award guarantees eco-friendly lights; reducing energy & water consumption; treating all waste water; recycling a maximum of waste and others, all in full compliance with the Responsible Business Policy of Rezidor Hotel Group. Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of Rezidor's broader commitment to sustainable development since the first environmental policy back in 1989.
TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award
For a 3rd year in a row Radisson Blu Grand Hotel, Sofia is the Winner of TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award!
Welcome to the Art!
Similar to a marble sculpture in the lobby of Radisson Blu Grand Hotel the monolithic spiral staircase stands out, leading guests to the Mezzanine level. Alongside the balustrade of the balcony overlooking the ground floor, the staircase ends on both sides with a parapet made of bronze with natural stones encrusted in its handrail.
At the Mezzanine level you will submerge into the softness of golden and marble walls, impressive shapes, and breathtaking artworks. Smiling behind the bar is Jimi Hendrix, whose image is a collage of his own broken records, a part of the Icons series. The piece’s author is the world-famous Mr Brainwash, known in art circles and in the musical industry. It was he who created the cover of Madonna’s third Greatest Hits album, Celebration, as well as the promotion of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album I’m With You.
At the entrance to the Ballroom works by world-known artists belonging to a private collection are positioned, including Paper Drop by the photographer Wolfgang Tillmans.
For the first time in the world, and especially for Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Sofia, a library was curated by directors of the Serpentine Gallery in London – Julia Peyton-Jones and Hans-Ulrich Obrist. Their selection of books about design, art and architecture is exhibited in two sections surrounding a nook where the Sariev Gallery has works by Bulgarian authors on display.
Next to the Concierge desk, visitors can enjoy the remarkable sculpture called by its author, Yinka Shonibare, Homeless Man, representing a life-sized man dressed in a specific type of black fabric. Instead of a head, the figure has a black globe with a quote from Charles Dickens’ novel The Adventures of Oliver Twist. The sculpture is on display within an exhibition organized by the so-called Crisis Commission (an organization helping poor people) and aimed at attracting social attention to problems of the homeless people, donating and gathering funds to tackle them. The exhibition was held in March-April 2012 at Somerset House in London, and the work is now impressively present at the Lobby of the Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Sofia.
Above the green onyx broad board of a silver table, Chinese artist Wang Nengtao’s drawing The Last Supper is installed.
On the high wall behind the reception is located the work One Hour, 1996, of the Bulgarian author Pravdolyub Ivanov consisting of 60 photographs. The object depicted is the dial of a now non-existent brand of clocks from a non-existent state: the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Through his work, the artist shows us the “components” of our concept of time. The process of interlinking is endless, as well as in the later work, A Thought in Another Thought in Another Thought which is exhibited in the restaurant of the hotel called Studio.
Other impressive contemporary artworks which could be seen only at Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Sofia are Ray Richardson’s Jigsaw Puzzle and In On The Wheel, Tord Lager’s Untitles, photos of rock legends Keith Richards and David Bowie by Mark Seliger, three works of Spanish artist Humbertos, the renowned Xi Singning (who adroitly puts the image of Mao Zedong among world figures linked to Western capitalist culture) with his work titled I Have Nothing On My Tongue (2007), the American artist William Wegman Overs and Cross Overs (1987) and, last but not least, in the foyer there is the artwork by Ivan Kyuranov in which we see images of women from the trendy vintage pens whose clothing changes upon spinning, with their body being undressed and then dressed again.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel companies.
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