Opened in 2007,[1] it contains one of the largest Murano crystal chandeliers in the world, stretching over four stories tall.
[citation needed] Several celebrities have stayed there, including foreign dignitaries, singer Beyoncé Knowles, Deep Purple, Angela Gheorghiu, and Enrique Iglesias.
Newsweek included the hotel in its "Best of Romania" article, later following up with an exclusive in which the "extravagant services" are detailed.
[citation needed] During the Communist period the building was nationalized and served as the headquarters for a number of communist party institutions, including ICRAL, the former housing authority (ICRAL in Romanian stands for "întreprindere de Constructii, Reparatii si Administrare Locativa").
[citation needed] The renovation and conversion cost close to 6 million Euros according to Romanian newspapers.