NH Gran Hotel Provincial
Encyclopedia
The NH Gran Hotel Provincial is a five star
establishment in Mar del Plata
, Argentina
.
. Inspired by seafront Hotel du Palais in Biarritz
, France
, the hotel and neighboring Casino Central
remain architectural landmarks of the city of Mar del Plata as well as of Argentina. Surrounded by an esplanade
built by the provincial government in 1938 with the future hotel in mind and facing Bristol Beach, the lobby featured murals painted by César Bustillo (the architect's son) and its decoration was planned by famed French designer Jean-Michel Frank
(who was in Argentina at work on the Llao Llao Hotel
) together with Casa Comte.
Completed in 1948, the 500-room establishment was inaugurated on February 18, 1950, and was long the largest in Argentina. The neighboring Casino Central, opened in 1939, was the largest in the world by floor space until the 1990 opening of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
, in Atlantic City.
The operation of the publicly-owned hotel was privatized under licence to the local Empresa Hotelera Americana in the early 1990s, though ongoing losses led to the agreement's rescission at the end of 1998; unable to finance its operation, the province kept the hotel shuttered from that date.
The province obtained an investment bid from the Madrid
-based NH Hotels Group for the Gran Provincials reopening, in April 2008. Following refurbishment works directed by local architect Alejandro Novakovsky and totalling nearly US$30 million, the hotel was re-inaugurated on February 8, 2009. Its 77500 sqm of floor space includes 469 rooms and 12 suites, as well as a convention center.
The hotel has hosted numerous Mar del Plata Film Festival
s, as well as the 2010 Ibero-American Summit
. Its more notable international guests have included actors Gina Lollobrigida
and Paul Newman
, as well as U.S. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
establishment in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Overview
The hotel is one of a pair of twin buildings designed by architect Alejandro BustilloAlejandro Bustillo
Alejandro Bustillo was an Argentine painter and architect who left his mark in various tourist destinations in Argentina, especially in the Andean region of the Patagonia....
. Inspired by seafront Hotel du Palais in Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the hotel and neighboring Casino Central
Casino Central
The Casino Central is located in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and is one of the largest such establishments in the country.-Overview:The Central Casino is one of a pair of twin buildings designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo...
remain architectural landmarks of the city of Mar del Plata as well as of Argentina. Surrounded by an esplanade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
built by the provincial government in 1938 with the future hotel in mind and facing Bristol Beach, the lobby featured murals painted by César Bustillo (the architect's son) and its decoration was planned by famed French designer Jean-Michel Frank
Jean-Michel Frank
Jean-Michel Frank was a French interior designer known for minimalist interiors decorated with plain-lined but sumptuous furniture made of luxury materials, such as shagreen, mica, and intricate straw marquetry.-Life and career:...
(who was in Argentina at work on the Llao Llao Hotel
Llao Llao Hotel
The Llao Llao Hotel is located in the tourist resort of San Carlos de Bariloche within the .This famous hotel is situated in the foothills of the Andes on a hill between the Moreno Lake and Nahuel Huapi lakes....
) together with Casa Comte.
Completed in 1948, the 500-room establishment was inaugurated on February 18, 1950, and was long the largest in Argentina. The neighboring Casino Central, opened in 1939, was the largest in the world by floor space until the 1990 opening of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
The Trump Taj Mahal is located at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States, in the casino area along the shore. The casino is one of two owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts...
, in Atlantic City.
The operation of the publicly-owned hotel was privatized under licence to the local Empresa Hotelera Americana in the early 1990s, though ongoing losses led to the agreement's rescission at the end of 1998; unable to finance its operation, the province kept the hotel shuttered from that date.
The province obtained an investment bid from the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
-based NH Hotels Group for the Gran Provincials reopening, in April 2008. Following refurbishment works directed by local architect Alejandro Novakovsky and totalling nearly US$30 million, the hotel was re-inaugurated on February 8, 2009. Its 77500 sqm of floor space includes 469 rooms and 12 suites, as well as a convention center.
The hotel has hosted numerous Mar del Plata Film Festival
Mar del Plata Film Festival
The Mar del Plata International Film Festival is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina...
s, as well as the 2010 Ibero-American Summit
Ibero-American Summit
The Ibero-American Summit , is a yearly meeting of the heads of government and state of the Spanish-...
. Its more notable international guests have included actors Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida is an Italian actress, photojournalist and sculptress. She was one of the most popular European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was also an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. Today, she remains an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the...
and Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
, as well as U.S. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.