Located in the heart of Bucharest at the intersection of Constantin Mille Street and Calea Victoriei, Capitol Hotel stands out with a unique identity among the city’s hotels. The history of this emblematic building spans over four centuries and is closely linked to notable personalities, businesses, and urban transformations that have shaped Romania’s capital.

From Podul Mogoșoaiei to the Heart of the Capital

The site’s origins date back to the 17th century, when this area of Podul Mogoșoaiei – the former name of today’s Calea Victoriei – belonged to the Cocorăscu family, an important boyar family of the time. Historical documents attest to the family’s involvement in building the Sărindar Monastery, a significant religious and cultural landmark of the city.

 Later, the Cocorăscu family sold the land around the monastery to Ch. I. Zerlendi, a renowned grain merchant, who, in the 1890s, constructed his own buildings on the site and expanded them with the help of architect Henri de Wurmb. The building erected by Zerlendi became the office of the Anker Insurance Company from Vienna.

Casa Luvru: A Symbol of Modernity in Early 20th Century

Between 1900 and 1905, the building underwent extensive restoration, financed by SAR Imobiliara, and became famous as Casa Luvru, named after the luxury store “Magasin de Luvru” on the ground floor, renowned for fine products imported from Paris. 

Between 1905 and 1910, the building housed the offices of the Sports Club, the Society of Romanian Writers, and even the General Anonymous Insurance Company, making Casa Luvru a vibrant center of commercial and cultural life in Bucharest.

In February 1911, a fire caused by an electrical short circuit at the ground-floor store destroyed most of the building. Its reconstruction and expansion were undertaken by architect Arghir Culina, who created an impressive edifice with two wings connected by a cylindrical corner volume, topped with a decorated dome, which also houses the main entrance. 

The building’s façade is divided into three main registers, featuring subtle rustication and colossal pilasters, giving it a distinct elegance. The façade facing Sărindar Fountain Square (today Piața Tricolorului) is treated differently, lowering the attic and creating an impressive visual effect across the ensemble.

From War to Banking and Café Royal

During World War I, Hotel Luvru was occupied by German troops. After the war, in 1921, the building became the headquarters of Banque Belge pour l’Etranger, and in 1929, the bank transferred its Romanian branch to the Commercial Bank, thereby centralizing Belgian capital interests in the country.

With the opening of Café Royal on the ground floor in 1935, Casa Luvru became a meeting point for Bucharest’s renowned writers and artists, an emblematic place of interwar cultural and social life. Unfortunately, the café was closed in 1945, when nearby buildings were destroyed during bombing, and Hotel Luvru suffered significant damage.

Transformation into Capitol Hotel

After the establishment of the communist regime, in 1950, the building was taken over by the Central Union of Consumer Cooperatives – CENTROCCOP, serving as its headquarters. In 1976, the building was closed for renovation and modernization, reopening under the name Capitol Hotel.

Further restorations continued into the 21st century. In 2001, the building underwent major restoration, and in 2014, it was fully modernized while preserving its historical and architectural features. Today, Capitol Hotel combines modern comfort with the elegance and tradition of its location, representing a prime example of urban heritage adapted to contemporary needs.

A Façade Rich in Stories and Architectural Details

The architectural details of Capitol Hotel reflect the refinement and attention to design characteristic of the interwar reconstruction period. The building’s façade, with its layered registers, pilasters, and corner dome, represents an urban art and architectural elegance, where functionality harmonizes with aesthetics. 

The central cylindrical volume housing the main entrance is a key visual reference in Piața Tricolorului, giving the building a monumental and distinct presence.

The ground floor retains commercial spaces that over time have hosted both Magasin de Luvru and Café Royal, continuing the tradition as a meeting place for intellectuals and artists. 

The façade preserves the original rustication, and the middle register with engaged pilasters offers a sense of visual continuity and architectural harmony.

Capitol Hotel Today

Today, Capitol Hotel is a symbol of Bucharest, a place where history and modernity converge. The building is not only a hotel but also a witness to the city’s urban evolution, from the boyar era of the Cocorăscu family, through the interwar period, German occupation, communist rule, and into its current modernized form. 

The hotel combines contemporary comfort with a historic atmosphere, allowing visitors to experience a piece of the city’s past. With over four centuries of stories, from boyars and grain merchants to literary cafés and banks, Capitol Hotel remains an important landmark of Bucharest’s heritage, illustrating how history can be preserved and harmoniously integrated into modern urban life.

Through careful attention to architectural details and respect for tradition, Capitol Hotel is more than just a building: it is a living testimony of the city’s evolution and of the people who shaped its history.

The hotel continues to captivate with its elegance, stories, and urban significance, while offering the comfort and functionality of a modern establishment. Capitol Hotel is not merely a place to stay but a true urban museum, where every corner, façade, and architectural detail tells the story of Bucharest’s rich history and the individuals who contributed to it.

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