Destination Poland.
Poznan a charming European town with a gorgeous city square, a 1,000-year plus history full of horrific wars and destruction, a Catholic bent and a surprising cosy athmosphere.
I’m here to visit the hotel Blow Up Hall 50/50, one of the most unique hotels in Europe.
Entering in the front door, you’re immediately struck by the grand entrance hall, complete with its four levels of brickwork and artworks ranging from the giant “Red Dwarf” at the back of the hall, through a number of artworks including a Spencer Tunick, to the spinning light installation above you.
The project is build by Grażyna Kulczyk, the one of the richest woman in Poland. Grażyna sees herself much more as a passionate patron of the arts.
She calls her signature approach to business the 5050 model: everything should be 50 percent art, 50 percent business, each side supporting the other. In this spirit, she bought up the crumbling carcass of a gigantic old brewery in 2003 and began development on a complex that houses two high-class shopping malls, a free art gallery where Kulczyk shows her personal collection of modern art, and the Blow Up Hall hotel.
The amazing brickwork and architecture of the old brewery were painstakingly preserved and worked into the ultra-modern design of the “Stary Browar” center and Kulczyk has dotted hundreds of artworks, big and small, throughout the complex to give it her twist.
There’s no check-in desk, just a concierge who confirms your booking and hands you your room key – an iPhone 5. It’s yours for the duration of your stay, it comes pre-fitted with a Polish sim card and you can use it throughout the city.
From there you step into the lobby – and into the key Blow Up Hall artwork itself, designed by digital artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and inspired by Blowup, a British art film of the 1960s. Most of the room is in dark shadow, barring a starkly lit path up the center leading to a series of large screens in which your own image is digitized and split up into a dizzying pixellated array.
The Blow Up Hall 5050 is really amazing. We checked in and were served a drink whilst our passports were photocopied and then were handed an iPhone which has an app which unlocks your room door. The hotel has 20 rooms and there was no problem accommodating us. We were given the choice of a standard room or a suite.
Being led to the lift, you enter an area decorated in just black & white – be it the carpet or the furniture. You can’t help but see the 3 huge plasma TV screens mounted vertically on the wall.
There are hidden video cameras which record your movements and so you feel artifical. The whole area is dark – making it difficult to find the lift call button.
The corridor leading to our room was no different. Black & white carpet on the floor; black walls and a TV screen with a built-in camera outside each room entrance. Once again, your movements become the art. You use the iPhone app to unlock your door and then you enter into a room which is contemporarily furnished and which follows the black & white theme. The bathorrom is entirely black including the sanitaryware.
We had dinner at the hotel and weren’t disappointed. Unfortunately there were only two other diners , the hotel was remarkably quiet all round, so the restaurant lacked atmosphere. Having said that, the food preparation and serving was pretty near perfect.
There was a good selection of wines, although the French wines were not the best.
We would recommend to have Piroggi and Vodka outside.
Breakfast was typically Polish -lots of meat-. Hmm.
There’s no serve yourself buffet, – it’s all -a bit old-fashioned- table service.
The standard of service throughout was exemplary.
Courteous, well presented members of staff made you feel welcome; greeted you with a smile all the time.
Wow.
A night’s stay with dinner and a bottle of wine is around 350 €, a bit extravagant for sure, but a truly unforgettable experience. Enjoy.
Going further, we visited the booming city Warsaw.
A must-do is the Miedzy-Nami-Cafe.
Między Nami is hidden away from those who need not be in the know. You will not find a Kardashian wannabee within its walls or sitting in one of their two beautiful gardens, one a serene space in the quiet courtyard and one on the busy sidewalk in front of the Cafe; perfect for people watching and welcoming acquaintances as they arrive. Started in 1994 by Ewa Moisan and Markus Redamacher. A Funky Fabulous place in a city which has managed to hold on to its bohemian vibe through a world war and subsequent doldrums of Soviet communism. Yet despite the daily listlessness of the older population, youthful creativity always boiled just underneath the surface waiting for its opportunity to explode. Once the Soviet curtain came down, small privately owned shops and restaurants started popping up in the restored prewar gray-stones all over the city. One momentous thing that the hard times created was a strong sense of community. Cafes were always pivotal meeting places for groups of like minded individuals, where they could spend hours over a hot cup of tea discussing in hushed tones forbidden subjects such as politics, art, literature, and religion. These people were teeming with ideas forbidden from ever seeing the light of day. Until one day in the early 1990s things started to change. All of a sudden permission was granted to open privately owned businesses and things began taking shape. Między Nami was one of the first such meeting places to offer the old sense of community to the newly liberated youth bursting with business ideas in a city filled with opportunity. It was a place where artists, play-writes, photographers and models would meet for a drink or a meal and to discuss their viewpoints and brash projects. Since those first days much has reformed in Warsaw. Fast food joint like Pizza Hut occupy a lot of the old store fronts, once empty of merchandise – now oozing with a western sense of speed, accessibility and convenience. Mass produced clothing and knickknacks sold at commonplace retailers you can find in any sizable city such as IKEA and H&M. The people however didn’t change all that much. The need to spend time with like minded peers is biological and Między Nami is still the natural hub for that. It’s a place where you can grab breakfast, meet for lunch, a late evening supper or just a drink or two. Their delicious cappuccinos are served in small bowls not coffee cups, the staff is as friendly as can be, you can’t help but become good friends with them if you spend any time there. The food is a mix of home cooked Polish fare with an eclectic spin and lots of choices for healthy eaters and vegetarians always have a multitude of choices on the menu. The interior is a simple mix of informal, industrial and filled with natural light coming through the floor to ceiling windows. You can sit by the large street side storefront window or the quieter loft area. In the corner a large glassed wall that shows off the quaint little shop next door simply called “Sklep” which means Store. “Where are you going?” one might ask “To the Store”, simple as that.
The Między Nami is probably best known and loved for their fabulous invite only special events, which are meticulously planned by the staff. The annual birthday bash is attended by their most loyal followers who start pleading and conjuring to be added to the coveted invite list months in advance. The smaller events such as art showings, DJed dance nights, corporate and artist events take place in the cafe. The larger affairs such as the famed annual birthday party take place in old funky haunts all over Warsaw. One of the more popular are “Sofia” the oldest strip club in Warsaw which was the place for Party members and foreign dignitaries to meet and relax during the old days of communism. The place still has that old proletariat aura and a funky late 70s /early 80’s vibe which is now considered retrospectively kitschy. Another great space that the annual event occupies is an old shut down, emptied out factory. With its spacious, industrial rooms transformed into an elegantly chick dining room with long communal tables draped in white linens, white flower centerpieces and lit only by copious candles, ala Truman Capote’s Black and White ball which took place at the Plaza Hotel.
Sklep is an addition to the Między Nami brand. A small shop opened in 2013 by Beata Blaibel, who moved to Warsaw from Chicago in 1996 and has worked with Ewa and Markus ever since. Sklep specialized in fresh organic, sustainable foods, delivered daily from the local farms surrounding Central Warsaw . They also sell home made jams, honeys and yogurts, breads, chocolates and other treats. You can visit every few days and find something new and different. There are also beautiful one of a kind ceramics, vintage linens, and other beautiful arts and crafts you can find all within this tiny little shops walls.
When you are done eating drinking and shopping you can climb the stairs to the 3rd floor and turn in for the evening in one of three fabulous rooms occupying the Między Nami Bed and Breakfast in operation since 2010. Each room is an eclectic mix of Retro and Mid Century Modern with pops of bright colors, and the bathrooms are absolutely fabulous. Once you have showered, rested and wake up a bit peckish you can call downstairs to have breakfast brought up to your room from the cafe or saunter down to enjoy it in the cafe.
Can life get any better you ask?
Między Nami Café
Bracka 20 street
00-028 Warsaw
We will come back.
Poland – a beautiful country.
