Hotel Astoria (russian: гости́ница «Асто́рия») is a

five-star hotel Hotel ratings are often used to classify hotels according to their quality. From the initial purpose of informing travellers on basic facilities that can be expected, the objectives of hotel rating have expanded into a focus on the hotel experie ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia, that first opened in December 1912. It has 213 bedrooms, including 52 suites, and is located on

Saint Isaac's Square Saint Isaac's Square or Isaakiyevskaya Ploshchad (russian: Исаа́киевская пло́щадь), known as Vorovsky Square (russian: Площадь Воровского) between 1923 and 1944, in Saint Petersburg, Russia is a major city ...

, next to

Saint Isaac's Cathedral Saint Isaac's Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor (russian: Исаа́киевский Собо́р) is a large architectural landmark cathedral that currently functions as a museum with occasional church services in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is ...

and across from the historic Imperial German Embassy. Hotel Astoria, along with its neighboring sister hotel, Angleterre Hotel, is owned and managed by Rocco Forte Hotels and is a member of

The Leading Hotels of the World The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW) is a marketing organization, representing more than 400 hotels in over 80 countries. Established in 1928 by European hoteliers, LHW is headquartered in New York City. History The company was establ ...

. The hotel underwent a complete refurbishment in 2012.

History

The Astoria was commissioned in 1910 by the Palace Hotel Company, based in the UK, which owned the land. It was designed by Russian-Swedish architect

Fyodor Lidval Fyodor Ivanovich Lidval (russian: Фёдор Иванович Лидваль, Swedish:Johan Fredrik Lidvall) (June 1 (June 13) 1870, St. Petersburg – 1945, Stockholm) was a Russian-Swedish architect. Life Lidvall was born in St. Petersburg i ...

, who developed a style based on Art Nouveau and also influenced by

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

. The hotel was constructed by the German firm of Wais and Freitag. It was built to host tourists visiting Russia for the

Romanov The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to ...

tercentenary, a huge celebration of 300 years of Russian imperial rule in May 1913. Hotel Astoria opened on December 23, 1912. The luxurious hotel was used during the celebrations to house guests of the imperial family, and was afterwards popular with the aristocracy.

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus ga ...

was said to stay there with some of his married lovers. Angleterre & Astoria 1930

The Astoria soon proved such a success that the neighboring Angleterre Hotel was set for demolition for a huge expansion of the Astoria designed by Lidval, mirroring the existing building. However, the outbreak of World War I prevented this. After the Russian Revolution, the Hotel Astoria housed members of the Communist Party. Lenin spoke from its balcony in 1919. During World War II, the hotel served as a field hospital during the Siege of Leningrad.

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

reportedly planned to hold a victory banquet in the hotel's Winter Garden. He was so convinced Leningrad would fall quickly that invitations to the event were printed in advance. The hotel was managed by the state-run

Intourist Intourist (russian: Интурист, a contraction of , "foreign tourist") was a Russian tour operator, headquartered in Moscow. It was founded on April 12, 1929, and served as the primary travel agency for foreign tourists in the Soviet Uni ...

group during the Soviet period, until it closed in 1987 for renovations. It reopened in 1989, completely restored. Rocco Forte Hotels purchased the hotel in December 1997 and spent $20 million on further renovations. The hotel was renovated again in 2012 for its centennial. Rocco Forte Hotels also owns and manages the adjacent Angleterre Hotel. It is marketed as the business-class wing of its more luxurious sister, the Astoria. The upper guest room floors of the two hotels are connected.

Famous guests

The hotel's many famous guests have included

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, who performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the US. Born and raised in ...

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Alexander Vertinsky Alexander Nikolayevich Vertinsky (russian: Александр Николаевич Вертинский, — May 21, 1957) was a Russian and Soviet artist, poet, singer, composer, cabaret artist and actor who exerted seminal influence on the Ru ...

, Prince Charles, Luciano Pavarotti, Madonna, Elton John,

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

, Alain Delon,

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...

, Marcello Mastroianni,

Dmitri Hvorostovsky Dmitri Aleksandrovich Hvorostovsky (russian: Дми́трий Алекса́ндрович Хворосто́вский, ; 16 October 1962 – 22 November 2017) was a Russian operatic baritone. Early life and education Hvorostovsky was born i ...

, Atal Bihari Vajpayee,

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric sha ...

Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 April 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corset ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

, Jacques Chirac,

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

and U.S. President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. Writer Mikhail Bulgakov spent his honeymoon at the hotel in 1932 and is said to have written parts of ''

The Master and Margarita ''The Master and Margarita'' (russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a novel by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov, written in the Soviet Union between 1928 and 1940 during Stalin's regime. A censored version, with several chapters cut by ...

'' in room 412.

References

External links

Official websiteRocco Forte Collection Website
{{The Leading Hotels of the World, Europe Astoria Tourist attractions in Saint Petersburg Saint Isaac's Square Astoria Astoria Art Nouveau architecture in Saint Petersburg Astoria 1912 establishments in the Russian Empire Companies nationalised by the Soviet Union Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg

History

Famous guests

See also

References

External links