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Staff loyalty is a scarce feature of the hospitality industry these days, especially since the onset of Covid when many employees moved to other sectors.
But Vasile Descultescu and Daniela Ciuca, have served the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest and its owner, George Copos, faithfully over the decades.
Knowing them both since they began working at the historic, 5-star hotel when I was foreign correspondent for The Times newspaper, London and later CEO of a national publishing company in Romania, I’m proud of them for their achievements and a great admirer for their sense of loyalty. As Vasile said to me recently, “we’re more members of the family than simply members of staff.”
Vasile Descultescu and Daniela Ciuca. Photo by Columbia Hillen
Daniela, kind-hearted matron of the English Bar, and chief concierge Vasile with his open attitude and down-to-earth gregarious nature are precious personal assets for the hotel, characteristics that create a warm welcome for guests.
A member of Ana Hotels, which includes Crowne Plaza Bucharest, Europa Hotel at Eforie Nord resort on Romania’s Black Sea and three hotels in mountain-side Poiana Bra?ov – Sportul, Bradul and Poiana – the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest encapsulates a nugget of history.
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Opened in 1914, the hotel gained fame as a place of refuge during the Second World War for rich and influential people fleeing Hitler’s surge through Europe, including members of royal families. The English Bar, once called the American Bar, also became an important ‘listening post’ for spies, with staff earning extra money providing key information on certain individuals and their movements.
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A spacious lobby with soft comfortable couches on either side, vases filled with fresh flowers, exotic plants in pots and speckled marble replica Corinthian pillars greeted me as I entered through the revolving entrance doors. A central chandelier with a majestic art deco motif of metallic and glass leaves and flowers hangs high above.
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Gazing beyond the foyer, my eyes rested upon a row of glittering chandeliers leading along a glistening marble corridor past two ballrooms facing each other to the English Bar and Roberto’s restaurant side-by-side at the far end.
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Roberto’s is a 1950s themed Italian restaurant featuring framed black and white photos of movie stars such as Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck along its walls. Seating is either inside, or alfresco on a large terrace with oversized white umbrellas shading guests in summer when temperatures often reach the mid-30 temperatures in Bucharest. My companion and I dined here one evening with Adrian Miholca, long-time Romanian friend and former colleague at our publishing company.
Executive Chef Yevgen Denysenko. Photo by Columbia Hillen
Under the supervision of Ukrainian-born executive chef, Yevgen Denysenko, the menu is an extensive one with seafood starters of Mediterranean tuna tartare with lumpfish caviar, avocado and wasabi cream as well as thinly sliced octopus with baby spinach, orange mini segments and raspberry coriander dressing.
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Meat varieties include beef carpaccio with mustard honey dressing, marinated shimeji mushrooms and crispy parmesan and an impressive Argentinian beef tartare with red onion, capers, parsley, pickles, boiled egg white, tabasco, Worchester sauce, mustard, egg yolk raw, brandy, salt and pepper.
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The anti-pastas are also tempting, including culatello, a Parma cured meat, with parmesan, mortadella, stuffed peppers, Napoli salami, marinated mushrooms, burrata and Kalamata olives and Angus beef with mix salad, cherry tomato, shimeji mushrooms, red onion, parmesan and balsamic reduction.
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Main dishes extend the restaurant’s diversity. My companions both chose dry heat cooked turbot fillet with artichoke purée, asparagus and bisque while I enjoyed ravioli burrata, with chanterelle mushrooms and tomato coulis, one of several pasta dishes on the menu including tagliolini with octopus, prawns and calamari and spaghetti with organic egg yolk, cured meat and Pecorino Romano cheese.
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Breakfast is also served in Roberto’s with an impressive buffet of cold cuts, fruits, pastries, breads and a variety of hot dishes, plus cooked-to-order choices such as eggs Benedict.
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For those seeking an even more relaxing place to enjoy food and conversation, the executive lounge is exceptional. Service is efficient and unobtrusive with a quality menu, which included burgers made with wagyu beef.
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Our room 352, inspired like others by the elegant Belle Époque era, featured a parquet wood floor, and a beige color scheme. Furnishings included a round table and armchair, large couch, standing lamp, big screen television, coffee-maker, mini-fridge and a line of glass-panelled wardrobes offering abundant space for clothes.
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A nod to the hotel’s illustrious history, a portrait of Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, a long-serving Romanian Prime Minister, hung on the wall. Our tiled bathroom comprised both a large bath-tub, glass-fronted shower and a marble wash-hand basin. Toiletries were the Byredo Bal d’Afrique brand.
Facilities at the hotel also comprise a spa featuring sauna, steam-room, jacuzzi and small swimming pool.
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Central location is a major plus for the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest. Neighbors to the National Art Museum and the Atheneum, Romania’s premier classical music concert hall, the hotel is also a mere 10-minute walk along Calea Victoriei Boulevard to the charming Old Town and the National History Museum. The boulevard becomes pedestrianized at weekends, with a lively collection of outdoor performers, bars and cafes along it’s two-kilometre route, making a stay at the hotel even more enjoyable.
