Grand Hotel Rimini E Residenza Grand Hotel, Rimini

1908: designed by the South American architect, Paolo Somazzi in the Italian Jugendstil, called Liberty style, under “Società Milanese Alberghi, Ristoranti e Affini” (Milan Hotel and Restaurant Company)
It was inaugurated on July 1st 1908. It soon became the haunt of noble families of Europe.
A serious fire destroyed the two decorative domes which adorned the roof in July 1920: the domes were never replaced.
The hotel was badly damaged during World War 2. It was reconstructed in the 1950s, right in time to become home to Egypts King Farouk, who is said to have been seen in the grand ball room with nothing else but a turban on his head.
In 1994 the Grand Hotel Rimini was recognized as a national monument and it is under the protection of the Superintendent of Fine Arts. Next to the Grand Hotel stands the Conference Centre, built in 1992 and equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment. It is open all year long to host meetings and conferences at national and international level. This new conference centre eventually safeguarded the existence of the Grand Hotel.
After a series of management and owner changes including the the Jannotta family from Castione della Presolana-Bergamo and the Bernardi family from Rimini, the Grand Hotel has now been acquired by Antonio Batani, who had bought it for €64m (US$ 101m) in December 2007.