Construction begins of the deluxe hotel that Mario Lago, governor of the Dodecanese from 1922 to 1936, had commissioned to the famous Venetian company SAGAR as the showpiece of his project to revitalise the touristic standards of the island of Rhodes. Construction follows the current architectural trend, a combination of Byzantine, Arabian, Ottoman and Venetian lines.

The hotel opens its gates with a spectacular inauguration ceremony in the presence of local authorities and prominent personalities from Italy and Egypt, attracting extensive public attention. A legend is born, named “Grande Albergo delle Rose” after the colourful rose garden that surrounds it. Rhodes acquires one of its most historic and emblematic landmarks, a masterpiece of unique architectural value.

The hotel undergoes major refurbishment after the new governor of the Dodecanese, Cesare Maria de Vecchi Conte di Val Gismon, not fond of the architectural design that his predecessor has applied across the town, demands all buildings to be immediately renovated. A more modest and simple line known as “rurale” is applied, and the building takes a form similar to that of the present day.

A popular destination strategically located in the eastern Mediterranean, Grande Albergo delle Rose is selected for the signing of the Arab-Israeli ceasefire treaty between the Lieutenant General and the Chief of Staff, Mr. Igal Yadin, a historic moment that leads to the creation of the State of Israel.

During its most glorious era, Grande Albergo delle Rose attracts prominent figures of local and international political, cultural and social life, including Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, Greek Prime Ministers Eleftherios Venizelos, Konstantinos Karamanlis and Georgios Papandreou, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Israeli Minister of Defence Moshe Dayan.

The hotel’s doors are closed throughout the 1970s, marking the end of a glorious and enviable era.

Casino Rodos S.A. undertakes management of the hotel, committing to revive the glamour, outstanding beauty and fine distinction that the hotel once epitomised, to breathe new life into its glorious past, and to mark a new era in hospitality that blends tradition, modernity, and unmatched quality of service.