At the beginning of the 20th century, in the vibrant area around Gara de Nord – one of Bucharest’s most dynamic neighborhoods – a building was erected that would remain deeply ingrained in the city’s memory. This was the Bratu Hotel, later known as Grivița Hotel, an establishment created through the vision of entrepreneur Alexandru Bratu. 

The Bratu family’s legacy and its contribution to Romanian science

Positioned at the intersection of Calea Griviței and Gheorghe Polizu Street, across from the School of Bridges and Roads (later the Polytechnic), the hotel was never just a place for accommodation. It quickly became a meeting point for travelers, artists, and intellectuals of the time. 

From the very beginning, its strategic location made it significant. Just a few steps from Gara de Nord, the country’s main railway hub, and close to academic and cultural institutions, the hotel attracted both prestigious guests and simple visitors eager to experience the heart of a city in transformation.

Alexandru Bratu, the hotel’s owner, was more than an inspired entrepreneur. His family left a strong mark on Romanian science and culture. His son, Emilian Bratu (1904–1991), became one of the pioneers of chemical engineering in Romania. 

Trained at prestigious European universities in Vienna, Karlsruhe, and Berlin-Charlottenburg, he later became a professor at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. He authored reference textbooks and guided generations of specialists.

The Bratu family residence, at the corner of Calea Griviței and Semicercului Street, was an imposing house where important personalities often visited, among them the academic Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga. Another property owned by the family, located on Buzești Street, is today in an advanced state of decay, a sad contrast to its once glorious past.

Hariclea Darclée – from the world’s grand stages to the anonymity of a hotel room

One of the most poignant episodes in the Bratu Hotel’s history is linked to the presence of soprano Hariclea Darclée, once hailed as the “Nightingale of the Carpathians.”

Born in 1860, she conquered Europe with her voice, receiving ovations at La Scala in Milan from none other than Giuseppe Verdi. Celebrated composers such as Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni wrote roles specifically for her.

Her dazzling career seemed to promise a comfortable old age. Reality, however, proved cruel. The fortune she had amassed was consumed by tours, lavish opera costumes, and a refined lifestyle. Once retired from the stage, she had neither the support of a wealthy family nor any stable source of income.

Aged and ill, Darclée found refuge at the Bratu Hotel, a modest place near Gara de Nord that often hosted artists and intellectuals in need of temporary shelter. There, she spent her final years in a simple room, far from the luxury she had once known. It is said she often reminisced with the hotel staff, recounting the times when world-famous composers dedicated works to her voice.

By 1939, her health deteriorated rapidly, and without proper medical treatment, her life came to a quiet end in that modest hotel room. Her death went almost unnoticed in the press. 

The only institution that honored her memory was the Italian Embassy in Bucharest, which covered the funeral expenses and ensured she was buried with dignity in Bellu Cemetery. For a woman once considered among the greatest sopranos in the world, her anonymous end remains one of the most tragic stories in Romanian cultural history.

George Enescu and his creative sanctuary

In contrast with Darclée’s dramatic decline, the same hotel served as a creative haven for George Enescu, Romania’s greatest composer. Enescu never owned a residence in Bucharest. A true nomad, he divided his life between Romania, France, and other European capitals.

When he returned to Bucharest, he chose to stay at the Bratu Hotel. His decision was both practical and symbolic: the proximity to Gara de Nord allowed him to depart quickly for France, and the hotel itself was a place where artists and intellectuals felt at home.

Enescu would typically rent three rooms for a month at a time. One served as his bedroom, another as a workspace, and the third for receiving guests. He even brought his own piano, while the hotel provided the peace and conditions he required for his strict work routine. Many of his musical sketches are said to have been written within those very walls.

His friends and collaborators, including Dinu Lipatti and Mihail Jora, often visited him there, turning the hotel into a discreet hub of musical dialogue. Thus, the Bratu Hotel was far more than accommodation – it was a sanctuary of inspiration for one of the world’s great composers.

Transformation under the communist regime

After the establishment of the communist regime, private properties were nationalized. The Bratu Hotel was repurposed into a student dormitory for the Polytechnic University. Generations of engineering students lived there, taking advantage of the proximity to their faculties.

This period gave the building a new identity. Once a place for artists and intellectuals, it became a home for young people eager to build professional futures.

From commercial hub to decay

In the 1960s and 1970s, the hotel’s ground floor turned into a small commercial center. It housed a CEC savings agency, a Loto-Pronosport office, a copy shop, a lingerie workshop, and a popular second-hand bookstore frequented by students. The building thrived with activity, becoming a lively meeting point for the academic community.

After 1990, however, its destiny darkened. Purchased by the Micula brothers, owners of European Drinks, the building was left abandoned and fell into visible ruin. Once filled with history and vitality, the hotel became a derelict site, a stark contrast to the booming real estate developments in the area.

Rebirth under the name Grivița Hotel

In the early 2000s, businessman Dorin Cocoș – disturbed by the ruined building next to his newly built EuroHotels – decided to acquire the Bratu Hotel. In 2012 he launched a comprehensive restoration project, and in 2014 the Grivița Hotel was reopened to the public.

The renovation preserved original architectural elements while incorporating modern amenities. The result was a building that successfully combined tradition with contemporary comfort, paying homage to its rich history.

A symbol of the city’s memory

Today, the Grivița Hotel is more than a restored building. It stands as a witness to remarkable stories: Hariclea Darclée’s fall from glory, George Enescu’s creative refuge, the Bratu family’s scientific legacy, and the vibrant student life of the communist era.

From its golden days as the Bratu Hotel, through communist repurposing, post-communist decline, and eventual rebirth, the building remains a landmark of Bucharest’s cultural and social history. For visitors, it offers more than accommodation – it provides the chance to touch, if only briefly, the charm of a world long gone.