COVER STORY
Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard Bucharest is a conversion of a property that dates back to the late 19 th century .
A Deluxe Suite Bedroom at Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard Bucharest .
property , has a storied past and was even the set for parts of the movie “ Red Sparrow ,” starring Jennifer Lawrence . Future openings include Maldives , Riyadh , Qatar and another hotel in Malta .
HOW TO DEAL Far from Four Seasons , deals don ’ t just fall into the lap of Corinthia , but owners and partner prospects get undivided attention from Corinthia ’ s C-level executives . Equally significant , Corinthia has a track record of ownership , despite its pivot to growth by management contracts or leases , which is part of a new era for Corinthia . Consider the Surrey deal , which Casson referred to as a “ coming together ” of families . “ We come to it with an owner and a developer mindset and as a brand that has to be challenging and disruptive to be amongst all the big players ,” he said . Corinthia may be an upstart competitor , but when you make it in New York , you can make it anywhere . “ It ’ s hard to not overstate the importance of New York City ,” Casson said .
Casson is quick to heap praise on his predecessor for Corinthia ’ s recent spate of deals . To wit , another Simon , Simon Naudi , who is now managing director and group CEO of Corinthia Group . Casson has inherited operational hotels and is finessing a pipeline of properties that is pushing Corinthia beyond the realm of provincial player .
It ’ s shaping up to be an active next several months for Casson , a frequent Instagrammer ( he has more than 12,000 followers ), who has captured , for instance , his jogs through Central Park . He ’ ll need his running shoes . The 126-room Corinthia Brussels opened in December , a $ 150-million , four-year rebuild and
The Palm Court at Corinthia Brussels is a tea-time destination or stop for a pre-dinner aperitif before dining at the hotel ’ s Palais Royal by David Martin or Le Petit bon bon .
restoration of what was the former Grand Hotel Astoria , which originally opened in 1910 . Next up is the March opening of Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard Bucharest , a Belle Epoque era hotel that originally opened in 1873 as the Hotel Herdan , before becoming the Grand Hotel du Boulevard in 1877 . It is said that the hotel was the first in the city with electric lights and an elevator . Though Bucharest , Romania ’ s capital , might
30 hotelsmag . com Mar / Apr 2025