Inter Continental Warsaw

Inter Continental Warsaw

InterContinental Warsaw, designed by a team of architects under the leadership of the late Tadeusz Spychała, is a five-star hotel in Warsaw, located between the streets of Emilia Plater, Śliska, and Sosnowa. Its construction started in 2001 and ended in November 2003. It is the tallest hotel in Poland, the third-tallest in Europe, and one of the tallest 5-star hotels in the world.

The building is characterized by its unusual shape and is kept in pea-green tones, like the adjacent Warsaw Financial Center. The building houses 326 rooms of various standards, including the presidential suite, 77 luxury suites with kitchenettes, and has 12 conference rooms. The building also has a ballroom, two bars, two restaurants, an E. Wedel chocolate fountain, sauna, fitness club, spa, and solarium. A modern swimming pool, located on the 43rd and 44th floors (150 meters above the ground) holds the distinction of being the highest indoor swimming pool in Europe. Underground, spread over five levels, is located a car park for 175 vehicles. Construction of the building did cost more than 100 million Euros.

In order to build the skyscraper, the ground was closed for almost a year and a legendary Polish jazz club, Akwarium, had to be demolished. (It has been relocated to the Złote Tarasy shopping complex.) The inhabitants of the surrounding blocks protested against the new building, claiming that it would obscure the sun. Ultimately, an agreement with the residents has been reached - thanks to the building's "cut out" shape, nearby buildings' access to light is less restricted.

The InterContinental Warszawa is the third tallest hotel in Europe after Hotel Ukraina and Spain's Gran Hotel Bali. The hotel has the deepest foundation of all the skyscrapers in Poland, with a depth of 20.7 meters.