Review of Corinthia Bucharest in Romania

“This hotel is filled with stories.”

Over the four days I stayed at the newly opened Corinthia Bucharest in Romania’s capital—fresh off a seven-year renovation and rebranding—I heard this line repeated by everyone, from the concierge to the servers who once visited the building as children.

The Belle Époque beauty opened its doors in 1873 and made history as the first hotel in the city outfitted with electric lights and an elevator. It hosted art exhibitions on par with posh, at-the-time contemporary museums and threw galas frequented by royalty and nobility. It all came to a halt during World War II, when German troops used the building as their headquarters. Then, during Romania's communist period, it served as the Palace of Culture.

It took nearly a year just to remove the dust from the ballroom’s intricately carved, gold leaf-encased columns and Art Nouveau glazed ceilings. But now Boulevard 73 has been restored to its 20th-century glory, with the addition of mirrored walls and a custom-crafted, Sogni Di Cristallo Murano glass chandelier. During the renovation, fun, historic artifacts were found in the ballroom, such as a banquet menu for celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday May 1884—and some menu items, like the queen of pudding—have been modernized for special events.

Original features abound, from the hotel’s marble staircase and Boulevard 73’s restored, glass-paneled wooden doors to the four, life-sized statues that were once displayed outside, which you can find in glass cases around the lobby. Modern Romanian art is on view here, too. In the reception area, you'll find a tapestry created by textile designer Jude Cassidy. Woven from 20 traditional Romanian, gold-printed scarves that are between 80 and 100 years old, its flowing, pearl-studded shapes are meant to invoke the legendary ballroom’s dances.

I've extensively visited the country's neighbors, but apart from Transylvania, my knowledge of Romania was relatively limited prior to my visit. “Everyone knows about Dracula,” the team at the hotel said over dinner one evening. But they are hoping that the hotel will help change the narrative and put Bucharest—and Romania—in a new light.

Here's what it's like to stay at the Corinthia Bucharest.

The Rooms

Similar to its recently opened Brussels hotel, the Corinthia Group worked with GA Design to seamlessly add modern touches to the historic building’s bones. All 30 suites here have a residential feel, and my 807-square-foot Grand Deluxe Suite was so inviting, it was hard to peel myself away for mornings of sightseeing. Interestingly, the aesthetic of the rooms was inspired by the poem, “The Blue Flower,” by Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu.

The decor is elegant without feeling stuffy—shades of beige are accented with hand-painted gold foil canvases and plush royal blue velvet. You’ll actually want to lounge on the sofa in the sitting room or enjoy room service at the table by the window. If you need extra space, the next—and highest—suite category, the 1,238-square-foot Signature Suite, has a private library room that doubles as an office and a dining space that seats four. 

Food and Drink

Because of its unique geographic location, Romania is sometimes considered the crossroads of the East and West. At the expansive Heritage Bar in the lobby, rich, jewel-toned fabrics play on Bucharest's unique past. Afternoon tea is accompanied by a pastry cart packed with desserts, such as a pear tarte tatin and a revamped version of a Paris-Brest with pâte à choux, hazelnut, and pecans. Heritage Bar also serves an all-day menu of light bites, similar to the hotel’s 24-hour en-suite dining menu, with options like Caesar salad and the house club sandwich.

Where the bar shines, however, is in its history-themed cocktails like Pages from Paris, a Champagne-based libation named after the bookstore and stationery shop that once occupied the hotel’s ground floor and sold the latest publications from the French capital. Bar manager Konstantinos Mourloukos says he aimed to create a cocktail program on par with cities like London or Barcelona in an effort to “elevate the entire cocktail scene [in Bucharest].”

“We’re bringing out unique flavors that tell a story—we’ve established a core from which something truly exceptional can grow,” he says.

In the evenings, as light jazz fills the space, servers outfitted in gold-accented white suit vests and bow ties move through the room as women in cocktail dresses and men in slick button-ups sip cocktails before heading to Sass’ Restaurant & Lounge. The tall, soundproofed doors discreetly mask the DJ-fueled affair, which currently has a three-week-long waitlist for a reservation. (The Wednesday night I dined there, the restaurant manager said he stopped checking emails over the weekend because the requests were hitting the hundreds.)

The piano bar and restaurant Sass’ Café has been an institution in Monaco for more than 30 years, and as someone who spends a good amount of time in the principality, I’ve had my fair share of late nights at Sass’. For Sass' Restaurant & Lounge at the Corinthian, it tapped Monaco-based Green & Mingarelli Design, who captured the eccentricity of the original location with baroque-inspired decor. Think rich tones like gold and burgundy, and velvet, leather, and leopard accents—it all evokes a 1920s boudoir Paris vibe.

Our table shared generous portions of decadent duck foie gras, wagyu carpaccio with crispy artichokes, and calamari with a smoked olive tartar sauce. A duo of singers entertained both ends of the room, singing as cherry-red lights on the ceiling mimicked the beat of the DJ. Even though the intimate restaurant is often packed, the bar is open for walk-ins later in the evening, around 11 p.m., when the space transitions into a lounge.

The team was finalizing the menu for Boulevard 73 during my stay, but expect an elegant dining experience with fresh produce from top local producers.

Amenities and Experiences

Floral arrangements are often a hallmark of grande dame hotels, and Corinthia Bucharest prominently showcases master florist Nicu Bocancea’s (founder of Romania’s luxe floral boutique Iris) elegantly tiered displays in the entryway and at Boulevard 73. The fresh flowers harmoniously blend with the hotel’s signature scent, Elysee, crafted by local perfumer Cristina Balan, who trained in the French perfume capital of Grasse.

The hotel has curated partnerships with local artists, performers, and institutions, and it can arrange access to bespoke tours of the city’s diverse Belle Époque and communist-era brutalist architecture. Or, if you'd like a deep dive into Romanian wine, it can arrange a visit to the Dealu Mare wine region, located a few hours north of Bucharest. It’s worth spending a few extra days to discover other parts of the country, and Corinthia Bucharest can also help you book luxury tours to the island monastery on Lake Snagov, said to be the final resting place of Vlad the Impaler, who inspired Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel “Dracula.” Alternatively, you could opt for a helicopter trip to spot bears in the nearby Carpathian Mountains.

The Spa

Corinthia Spa Bucharest’s spacious duo of treatment rooms in the hotel’s cupolas offer body treatments using products from British brand Wildsmith Skin and facials with 111Skin. The subtle, cream-colored walls are peppered with molds of wildflowers plucked from Romania’s rolling hills, a nod to the country’s outdoor spaces and the botanical-based products featured in treatments.

The spa also has a Himalayan salt sauna, steam room, showers, and an ice fountain. Down the hall, the hair salon sits behind the hotel’s clock (the “eye of the grande dame of Bucharest”) and offers hair and scalp rejuvenating treatments. An airy, Technogym-equipped gym is open 24 hours and has plenty of space and equipment. You won’t feel like you’re vying for a spot for your mat or need to wait for a machine—a huge plus for those of us who like to squeeze in a yoga session before a day of sightseeing.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The ground floor’s common areas, as well as Boulevard 73 and Sass’ Restaurant & Lounge, are mostly accessible, however, there aren’t dedicated wheelchair ramps. The hotel features one accessible Deluxe Suite on the first floor, and the fourth-floor spa can be accessed via elevator. 

Keeping in line with Corinthia Hotels’ sustainability goals, the hotel minimizes waste (even room cards are compostable) and sources produce from local farms.

Location

The Corinthia Bucharest is located about 10 miles from Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP), about 20 minutes away by car.

The hotel is located near the city’s Old Town, so you’ll be within a quick stroll of the popular Romanian restaurant Caru’ cu bere (The Beer Wagon). Plus, you'll be within walking distance of major landmarks like Revolution Square and the grandiose (and controversial) marble-clad Palace of Parliament, considered the second-largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. While I mostly walked during my four-day stay, you can arrange a car service through the hotel or order an Uber if you want to see other city highlights like the outdoor National Village Museum, a collection of nearly 300 wooden homes, churches, and other structures sourced around the country—one homestead dates back to 1860.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Stay

The Corinthia Bucharest is part of the Global Hotel Alliance, so guests can participate in the organization's Discovery loyalty program. Members can get 10 percent off rates and earn Discovery Dollars that can be cashed for spa treatments, dining experiences, or applied to a hotel bill at check-out.

Nightly rates for a Junior Suite at the Corinthia Bucharest start from 460 euros (about $525 USD), and 1,800 euros (about $2,057 USD) for a Signature Suite.

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