The reconstruction of the facade of the Jalta Hotel in Prague cost 10 million.

Prague - The facade of the Jalta hotel on Wenceslas Square in Prague has been repaired for the first time in 50 years; the reconstruction lasted four months and cost ten million crowns. Hotel director Jan Adámek announced this at a press conference today. "We originally estimated three million, but in the end, it was ten; we almost abandoned the reconstruction," he noted.
    The building is a protected monument and its facade is made of rare travertine, brought from Spišské Podhradie in Slovakia. According to Adámek, investors could not afford travertine financially even in the 1950s, but eventually, communist leaders managed to advocate for it at Jalta.
    During the reconstruction, workers first cleaned the cladding using hot steam pressure; they removed and repaired unstable parts and damaged slabs. They then repaired the joints and cracks and finally polished the facade. The reconstruction revealed forgotten details, such as the golden fittings on the railings and the light trim around the windows. "We believe the facade will last at least another 50 years in perfect condition," Adámek stated.
    The hotel was built in 1958 by renowned architect Antonín Tenzer in the style of so-called Stalinist baroque or sorel, which was a Soviet type of socialist realism. The architect designed the hotel down to the last detail, including door knobs, and incorporated functionalist elements alongside sorel. "The 1950s were a difficult time, but they left behind some great monuments of modern architecture," said the mayor of Prague 1, Petr Hejma.
    At the time of its creation, the hotel was not just intended for peaceful vacationers from Čedok. In case of war, it was anticipated that it would house the headquarters of the Warsaw Pact troops. The hotel still has a perfect nuclear shelter in the basement made of reinforced concrete and lead plates, which, according to Adámek, is completely indestructible. "It has been tested with the heaviest equipment, and it didn't even budge," Adámek stated. The legend says that beneath the shelter is still a military hospital. "But we didn't find the doors to it," Adámek added jokingly.
    Since the revolution in 1989, the Jalta hotel has changed owners several times. Until 1991, it was owned by the Interhotels company, then it passed into the hands of Japanese investors. In 2003, the Japanese sold it to the development company Flow East, which owns several lucrative buildings in the center of Prague. In 2004, the company renovated the interiors, while the facade was completed this year.