What were the first hotels in Lviv: the romantic history of the Swiss Hotel Lviv

A romantic love story and the creation of the Swiss Hotel in Lviv

Knyazya Romana, 20

The Swiss Hotel was first mentioned in the press in 1894, even then it was located at the current address. There is a legend about how one rich Swiss man who worked as a banker could not find his love in his homeland. Only in our city fortune smiled on him and he found his soulmate. After the wedding, the couple opened a mini-hotel on the modern streets of Knyaz Romana, which they named "Swiss". The Swiss banker came up with the concept of the hotel: Swiss service and Galician hospitality are one. The couple of hoteliers really liked wine, they traveled around the wine regions of France and Italy in search of the best quality drink. Later, they opened their own wine cellar in the hotel. Wine tastings were held in the cellar, which were always sold out. We were treated to cheeses from farms in the Lviv region. Also, in 1905-1928, Samuel Bodek's antique shop was located in the hotel premises. In Lviv guidebooks as of 1935, it is mentioned that the Saski hotel operated at the specified address. This indicates that the hotel was temporarily renamed). According to Ihor Melnyk, the hotel was named "Saxony". In 2006, the building that now houses the hotel was restored. The renovated hotel "Schweitsarskyi" opened its doors on June 25, 2007. The hotel's modern wine cellar houses a rare Austrian brick and several other exhibits of that era. The wine collection of the cellar includes the Spanish dry wine Maseto from 2001, a bottle of which costs 60,000 hryvnias. The hotel has a mini-museum exhibit, where you can see the menu of the hotel restaurant with prices, written by hand. There are also vintage photos of hotel guests and other rare items, including candlesticks, a room key and even a dried rose.

"Under the Roman Caesar" is the first hotel in Lviv

The first hotel in Lviv appeared in 1785 on modern Svobody Avenue. It was a three-story building of the hotel "Under the Roman Caesar". To build it, they used bricks from the dismantled Holy Spirit Hospital on the current Ivan Pidkova Square. After the death of the hotel's owner, Johann Preschel, the building was occupied by the military and a stone wall was erected around the house. In 1840, entrepreneur Felix Liang decided to return this building to its original purpose. It was then that the reconstruction was carried out and it was renamed the "English" hotel. In 1875, a restaurant also operated there. The hotel existed approximately until 1889, after which the building was demolished. Currently, the Museum of Ethnography can be seen in its place.

From the hotel "Under the Three Hooks" to the modern "George"

As of 1793, in addition to the "Under the Roman Caesar" hotel, there was at least one more inn - "Under the Three Hooks" in Lviv. In 1812, a new building was built on this site - the "Russian" hotel, over time it was renamed the "George Hoffman" hotel. This was done in honor of the owner. Later, the name was simplified and the hotel was called simply "George". The building is located on the modern Mickiewicz Square. Since 1864, there were shops on the first floor. Roughly 10 years later, this floor was remodeled due to the construction of a single central entrance. In 1874, a two-story wing with a facade was added to the hotel, and later two more wings. As a result, the hotel became a large enclosed structure with an inner courtyard. At that time, the hotel had a restaurant and a bookstore. In 1901, a new building of the "George" hotel was erected. Over time, the third and fourth floors were built over part of the building, and even later - the fifth floor. In 1940, the hotel was named "Lviv", five years later it was renamed "Intourist". In 1995, the historical name of the hotel was returned - "George", which exists to this day.

European Hotel and Langa Hotel

In 1858, the city also had the "European" hotel on the modern Mickiewicz Square. At that time there was a restaurant. In 1935, a redevelopment was made, the foundations were strengthened, the 5th floor was added, the facade was lined with slabs of artificial stone. During the Soviet occupation, it was renamed the "Ukraine" hotel. In addition, the "Langa" hotel on the present-day Svobody Avenue also operated in that period. In 1893, it was renamed the Victoria Hotel. The building has not survived to our time, it was demolished.

About the existence of the Krakivskyi Hotel

In 1859, the three-story hotel "Krakivskyi" was located in Lviv on today's Svobody Square. There was a restaurant in it, there was a drive-in for trucks and carriages. However, by 1911, the building was dismantled together with the adjacent building of the General Military Command of Galicia. Then, on the site of these two three-story tenements, a new "Krakivskyi" hotel was built, which at that time was considered the most elegant in the city. The hotel has not survived to our time. Currently, the Court of Appeal of the Lviv region is located there.

History of the hotel "Under the Black Eagle"

Since 1868, another hotel has been operating - "Under the Black Eagle" on modern Svobody Avenue. After 30 years, it was renamed the Hotel "Bristol". At that time, the hotel was equipped with electricity, an elevator, and a restaurant also operated. In 1939, the hotel and restaurant in it temporarily stopped working. During the Soviet occupation, the hotel and restaurant resumed its work under the name "Pershotravnevyi" hotel.

Hotel "Imperial" on Sichovy Streltsy

In 1892, the newspapers first mentioned another hotel in the city - "Imperial", which was located on the modern street. 3 Sichovyh Streltsiv. As of 1911, the hotel was equipped with electric lighting, baths, and an elevator. Concerts were held, a restaurant was functioning. This hotel operated approximately until 1935.

"Grand Hotel" and "Swiss Hotel" are among the oldest that are still operating

Another one of the oldest hotels in Lviv is the Grand Hotel. It was opened in 1893 on the modern Svobody Square. It was built on the site of a house where there used to be a candy store. There were shops on the first floor of the hotel, and hotel rooms and a restaurant were located on the upper floors. Together with Hausman Passage (now the Kryva Lypa passage), the "Grand Hotel" formed a single complex. The hotel had electric lighting and was considered one of the best in the city in terms of comfort. It remains so to this day, because it is considered one of the most comfortable hotels. The hotel building was renovated more than once. The last opening of the hotel after renovation took place in 2018, during which Paris Hilton was present. In 1894, there were also mentions of the "Swiss" hotel in Lviv, which is located on the modern street of Knyaz Romana. It is known that the hotel was temporarily renamed during its existence, but nowadays a hotel with the first name is located and operates there. It is worth noting that at first in Lviv, hotels appeared quite gradually and mainly in the central part of the city. Currently, there are many of them, as well as a large number of hostels and daily apartments. Several of the oldest hotels in Lviv have survived to our time. It is about "Grand Hotel", "Swiss" and "George".