150 years of Grande Bretagne: The History within History (photos)

The jewel that dominates the heart of the city, for 150 years now, seems to have been founded to express the classical and at the same time modern vision for Greece, in the early years of the state’s founding: because the ‘Grande Bretagne’ is something beyond a hotel, as it was heard many times from the people who spoke about the hotel’s history at the celebration for its 150 years of operation.

The celebration took place at the Pallas Theater where the excellent documentary “150 Years of Grande Bretagne: History within History” by Thodoris Papadoulakis was screened, written by Natasa Segkou – a production of the company Greek Hotels LAMPS SA and production execution by Indigo View Productions SA.

In this film the entire history of the ‘Grande Bretagne’ unfolded from its early days of establishment until today, directly intertwined with the socio-political changes that transformed Greece and the lofty mission of hosting the authorities as well as all those who saw in the hotel spaces the urban identity and the Western vision. From the romantic archaeology enthusiasts, who began to arrive from the beginning of its establishment to get a close look at the ancient Greek glory of a state that was only a few years old, to the contemporary celebrities hosted in a building that proudly dominates for 150 years, essentially constituting the showcase of the country’s capital.

But there was not a figure of power and politics who did not perceive this impressive building as the place that could potentially host his visions: from Eleftherios Venizelos, who believed that his Western vision was encapsulated in the policy being shaped in his office, which he had set up in the Grande Bretagne, to the kings who identified their presence with the aristocratic mansion: it is no coincidence that all the royal families were hosted there recent for the funeral of former King of the Greeks Constantine.

Accommodation for the foreign travelers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a permanent hostel for the people of the Palaces, an urban synonym of the imposing courts and the high gastronomy that had begun to establish themselves in the consciousness of the high society, the place that the Germans later mobilized for their operations knowing it to be the safest during the 1940s – even though it has been perceived as a besieged fortress during the bloody battles of the December events – as monumental as this landmark of Athens may be, one thing is certain: all the historic pages of the country bear, in capital letters, its name. However, this is also the place that glorified crucial moments of Greece – from the Nobel Prize of Elytis to the return of Constantine Karamanlis, who considered it the center of the country’s new democratic era.

As highlighted both in the excellent documentary by Thodoris Papadoulakis, scripted by Natassa Segkou, and in the special luxury edition released on the occasion of the anniversary by the main shareholder of the Greek Hotels Company LAMPS SA, Athanasios Laskaridis, the hotel was directly linked “to Greek history, from the era of King Otto, when the building was still the Dimitriou residence. Along the way, and 150 years ago, it was transformed into a European-standard hotel which was associated with the most important events that took place in the country.” Undoubtedly, its location played a significant role as well, as, as he reminds us, it was the first “to install a telephone, elevator, air conditioning, and other innovations of the time.” From the documentary, we also learn that the hotel faced enormous difficulty in securing water during its first years of operation for the guests in an era when, as we are informed, it cost as much as…gold.

Nevertheless, all this significant history did not detract from the hotel’s glory, which became a magnet for the famous stars who became inseparably connected with its history: from Sarah Bernhardt to Maria Callas – whose piano, where she rehearsed before her historic performances, we learn still dominates in some of the suites, but much more recently Giorgio Armani, just before his death, Amal Alamuddin, Jean-Paul Gaultier. They speak, on their own, both the photographs and their warm dedications in the guest book. All these diverse guests met again virtually through the scenes of the documentary “150 years of Grande Bretagne: The History within History” and in real life: countless are the testimonies, in the various shots, of the people who have worked at the hotel, the historians like Angelos Vlachos who unfolds its significant moments, or journalists well-versed in the city’s history like Nikos Vatopoulos. Known and unknown, people who for different reasons linked the ‘Grande Bretagne’ with their most unforgettable personal moments, are the real protagonists of this great journey towards the future.

This unique evening, besides the screening of the documentary at the Pallas Theater in the presence of a large crowd, held other surprises for the countless guests. As we found ourselves walking on the red carpet laid out in front of the Pallas Theater, leading to the Grande Bretagne Hotel, the evening continued there with food, joy, and drinks in all areas of the hotel. These areas had opened specifically for us, where we enjoyed richly decorated, impressive buffets that evoked the atmosphere of another era with exquisite decoration. They offered all kinds of gastronomic combinations created by the twice Michelin-starred Executive Chef of the Grande Bretagne, Asterios Koustoudis. These combinations were based on the rich gastronomic history of the hotel.

The musical program was also exceptional, featuring a live orchestra and performers such as the acclaimed singer Olga Veneti. Just a few months prior, she had gifted us with a unique evening at the Pallas, embodying the unforgettable Dalida in the performance “Dalida-La Diva”. Her distinctive presence and unique voice warmed the evening with their special charm. With her help, her class and aura perfectly matching the venue that hosted us, we were swept away on an unforgettable musical journey for two hours, setting the tone for the celebration. At times more lively and at others more romantic, her performance exuded the essence of all the times and moments that had passed within the halls of the “Grand Bretagne”.

The evening of the grand celebration was honored by the presence of politicians, various personalities from high society, entrepreneurs, and artists, individuals from the world of culture and the business community: the wife of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mareva Grabowski Mitsotakis, Kostas Simitis and his wife Daphne, Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas, Evangelos Venizelos, Olga Kefalogianni and Minos Matsas, Thodoris Papaloukas with his wife Vasiliki Tsekoura, Queen Anna Maria and Prince Pavlos representing the former royal family.