Villa Economat (Vila Economat) is a large historic service and residential building on the Peleș Royal Estate in Sinaia, standing behind La Tunuri and close to Pelișor Castle. Built around 1900, it was created to house and support the many employees needed to keep the royal household and estate running.
The building was laid out in three wings around a broad inner courtyard, giving it a much larger scale than a conventional staff residence. Alongside accommodation for employees, it contained a canteen, storage areas and workshops for carpentry and metalworking. Guests who had been granted an audience with members of the royal family could also be lodged here, so the Economat combined staff housing with a wider range of practical functions.
Its architecture follows the German Renaissance character seen across much of the Peleș estate, with steep roofs, timber detailing and a picturesque arrangement of projecting wings and façades. The building was enlarged in 1908-1909 as the estate continued to develop, adding to a complex that already formed an important part of the working life behind the nearby royal residences.
After the monarchy, Villa Economat remained in use and was gradually adapted for hospitality. Today parts of the building are used for hotel accommodation, while Carol Gastro Bierhaus occupies its eastern wing. This gives visitors a chance to experience the building from the inside as well as from the surrounding estate, even though its original role was very different.
- Book a room at Complex La Tunuri – Vila Economat
Villa Economat is less immediately striking than the castles or the towers of La Tunuri, but its size and original functions reveal another side of the royal estate. Peleș depended on a large network of employees, workshops and service spaces, and Villa Economat was one of the main buildings that supported that everyday activity.
