Hotel Palace is a historic hotel in the old center of Constanța, opened in 1914 on the high seafront above the Black Sea.
The hotel was commissioned by Baron Edgar de Marcay after he obtained the concession to operate the Constanța Casino in 1912. His contract with the city required him to provide accommodation for the Casino’s wealthy clientele, and the new Palace Hotel was built specifically for that purpose. French architect Edgar de Goue designed the building in an eclectic La Belle Époque style inspired by the French Riviera, with luxurious interiors and modern conveniences that included an elevator. A monumental stairway originally descended from the hotel toward the sea.
However, its first period as a luxury hotel was short. After Constanța was occupied during the First World War, the building was requisitioned and used as a military hospital, offices and storage space. Lawyer Toma Boată bought the hotel in 1928, but the economic crisis and the growing popularity of Mamaia gradually reduced its importance during the interwar years.
The building was requisitioned again during the Second World War, first by the German military command and later by the Soviet army. By the time Soviet forces left Constanța in the 1950s, much of the original furniture and equipment had disappeared. The former hotel was then used as accommodation for agricultural and industrial workers before being restored and returned to hotel use in 1972.
