Grand Hotel Aranybika facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grand Hotel Aranybika |
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| Etymology | Trade-sign depicting a bull |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Nouveau |
| Address | 11–15 Piac Street |
| Town or city | Debrecen |
| Country | Hungary |
| Coordinates | 47°31′49.80″N 21°37′26.30″E / 47.5305000°N 21.6239722°E |
| Renovated | 2013–2015 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alfréd Hajós |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 205 |
The Grand Hotel Aranybika is a famous four-star hotel in Debrecen, Hungary. It's right in the city center. This hotel has a long history, going all the way back to the late 1600s! The building you see today was built in 1915. It was designed by Alfréd Hajós, who was Hungary's first Olympic champion.
In 2013, a businessman named József Boros bought the hotel. He started a big renovation project with help from the government and the European Union. The hotel was expected to look brand new by 2015.
History of the Golden Bull Hotel
The story of the hotel began in 1690. The city bought land and buildings from a local farmer named András Bika. One of these was a stone building. This building was turned into a guest house. It had four guest rooms, an inn, and a place for the innkeeper to live. It opened its doors in 1699.
Over the next hundred years, the guest house became very popular. By 1799, it needed to be made bigger. They added another floor and a large ballroom. A special sign was put on the front of the building. This sign showed a bull with its head down, ready to charge. This is how the hotel got its name, Aranybika, which means "Golden Bull" in Hungarian.
The hotel was rebuilt again in 1882, following plans by Imre Steindl. This new two-story building had a café and a restaurant. It quickly became a central place for important people and social events in Debrecen.
Eventually, the building became old-fashioned. So, in 1915, a brand new hotel was built in its place. This new building was designed by Alfréd Hajós, who was famous for being Hungary's first Olympic gold medalist. The hotel was built in the Art Nouveau style, which was a popular artistic design at the time. It had 192 rooms, new cafés, restaurants, a spa, a theater, and a grand hall for events. In 1976, another part was added to the building.
Today, the hotel has 205 rooms. The older part has 131 rooms. The newer part has 48 rooms, 10 studios, 12 apartments, and 4 fancy suites. In total, the hotel can sleep up to 500 people.
Famous Guests at the Hotel
Throughout its long history, the Grand Hotel Aranybika has welcomed many important artists and politicians. Some of these famous visitors include István Széchenyi, Ferenc Deák, and Miklós Wesselényi. Other notable guests were Ferenc Kossuth, Zsigmond Móricz, Béla Miklós, István Vásáry, Imre Nagy, Magda Szabó, Bruno Kreisky, and Helmut Kohl.
It is also known that General Józef Bem stayed at the hotel. This was during the Hungarian War of Independence in 1848–49.
