The 150th Anniversary of the Grand Hotel Europe

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On January 28, the Grand Hotel Europe, Russia’s first luxury hotel, St. Petersburg’s calling card and a national symbol of hospitality, celebrated its 150th birthday. The gala reception spanned all of the hotel’s public spaces, while the multimedia show transported guests to both the past and the future. One of the guests at the gala was Lina Moskvina, the founder of MICE&more.

After the official congratulations, an orchestra comprised of hotel employees and professional musicians performed the European Anthem “Ode to Joy.” Chef Denis Sobolev took center stage in the festivities. The highlight of the event was the presentation of a magnificent cake adorned with 150 candles and images of historical stained glass windows.

The main surprise was a concert by Hibla Gerzmava, an opera diva and longtime friend of the Grand Hotel Europe. The assembled guests were able to soak in live jazz, opera and bossa nova from the stage.

Overview by Lina Moskvina: “This was truly a unique, large-scale and long-awaited event. No other company in our industry could boast celebrating its 150th anniversary. It’s incredibly valuable for us to be part of this illustrious history. The hotel has always been steeped in a special atmosphere and festive feeling.

However, on January 28, the celebration began right at the entrance to the Grand Hotel Europe, where huge golden numbers reading “150” greeted visitors. They created a special allure.

After registering, all of the guests were transported to the era of the past, which was recreated in the “Europe” restaurant. As an orchestra played and a creative video montage flickered onscreen, guests were emotionally struck by just how many people had visited this restaurant and enjoyed its gastronomy over the years. Portraits of distinguished guests who wrote the history of the 19th, 20th and even 21st centuries slowly scrolled across the large screen above the stage. Such a deep connection between the past and the present can’t help but broaden one’s perspective.

The Mezzanine café created a different, futuristic atmosphere. Here, guests were greeted by characters in spacesuits and invited to take part in an interactive survey to determine what the shape, logo and overall style of the hotel would be in many years; that is – everyone was encouraged to look into the Future together.

The official part of the festivities, with a greeting from the hotel's general manager, Yulia Pashkovskaya, turned out to be beautifully moving. I personally remember very well her quote from Eduard Radzinsky, a brilliant expert on the history of Russia and St. Petersburg.

The film about the entire team working at the hotel made an incredibly vivid and heartfelt impression on viewing guests. The attitude displayed towards people penetrated the depths of my soul. But yet another surprise was in store! After the dance and light show, an orchestra consisting of... hotel employees appeared on the stage. It had a real wow-effect.

After the performance, with a wave of Yulia Pashkovskaya’s conductor’s baton, a huge festive cake descended from the restaurant’s ceiling, culminating the entire evening. And then the brilliant Hibla Gerzmava performed and her cosmic voice also transported us somewhere to another universe.

Worthy of special mention — the evening’s sublime gastronomic component. On this special night, you could sample unique dishes from the chef and the hotel team. We can’t even imagine how much time it took to prepare, design and create this epic menu, but it was well worth it.

Please note that this year the hotel is preparing various gifts for its guests, including a new suite, a book devoted to the big anniversary and the renovation of the “Europe” restaurant, which is celebrating its own anniversary — 120 years! This means that you’ll be able to celebrate New Year’s 2026 at the Grand Hotel Europe in the renovated restaurant.

So, how did this extraordinary night end? With dancing to DJ sets and endless conversations about this unique hotel’s place in our industry and the next chapter in its illustrious history. May it also endure for centuries!”

MICE&more has been friends with Grand Hotel Europe for many years. We regularly share news about this legendary hotel, publish related articles and have twice brought famtrips there with Community MICE&more participants. We were so looking forward to this illustrious date! We wholeheartedly join in the congratulations that our editor-in-chief Lina Moskvina personally conveyed to hotel employees. We’re certain that this cooperation will continue. Lina was already busy discussing our immediate plans with colleagues over breakfast after this dazzling, unforgettable night of dancing with the hotel’s many friends.