Radiant revival - the "andel's Hotel" in Lodz Revitalized industrial architecture into a design hotel Łódź is Poland's third largest city, which has transformed itself in recent years from a pure industrial city to a manageable place to live. Last but not least more than 80 festivals per year are not only attracting the 800,000 inhabitants like a magnet.
Until the beginning of this millennium, a weaving mill - which was built already in 1878 - was for the last decades empty. It has now been a parade work transforming it softly from historical industrial architecture into modern architecture or simply said outside “old” but inside “new”. The complex is now Poland's largest shopping and spare-time center, called manufaktura.
But without the andel's Hotel the extensive restoration would be worth of the factory halls only half as much, and so were at least 3,100 square meters
around 280 modern rooms, spacious conference rooms, a ballroom and of course a representative lobby, a bar and a restaurant built-in.
The lobby With its incredibly beautiful and modern interiors across the board, this hotel surprises its guests again and again. No wonder, for this it was raining lots of prizes and awards, including Design Hotel Of The Year, awarded by the hotel-website hrs.pl in cooperation with the magazines Newsweek and Forbes.
In one of the suites
The swimming pool on the top floor is remarkable: a fire-fighting water tank from the 19th century was more or less the foundation. The basin is a relic of the past. And coming back "into the dry" guest will be also entertained with interesting and exciting art exhibitions. Beside a perfect service art has really a top priority in the andel’s. Even the permanent exposition includes 130 works by contemporary Polish artists.
The hotel is often used as a backdrop for moving pictures, finally has Lodz a film college, where for instant Roman Polanski had been graduated. By the way, Lodz has even more to offer. For example the Piotrkowska Street - the longest boulevard in Europe. In here city explorers will find Europe highest density of bars and clubs (often hidden in small backyards) according to official figures.
After a good dinner in the hotel’s fine restaurant Delight and a stroll around the historic area, the Oscar's bar can be warmly recommended. Also here guests and locals like to enjoy a digestive, before they finally dive into the night.
Text: Wolfgang G. KĂźlper
www.andelslodz.com