Grand Hotel Toplice Through The Ages. 1850 1854 A hotel was built on the shores of Lake Bled where thermal springs had been discovered and where a bath had been built subsequently. The hotel was bought by Jo;e Luckmann, who named the hotel Luisenbad after his wife Luisa. 1875 The hotel flourished under the ownership of count Camillo Eichelburg. It was renovated and extended, giving it three floors, 40 rooms and a arge glazed veranda. 1889 The Luisenbad Hotel was sold to the renowned chef Gustav Valtriny. His wife Fanny was an expert in hotel management. 1891 Valtriny built the Schweizerhaus in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, which is known today as the Trst Hotel. There was a shop on the lower floor, catering for all the need of tourists at that time. 1894 A brochure of the Luisenbad Hotel from 1894 reveals that the hotel featured thermal baths, as well as a post and telegraph office, an oriental coffee house with billiards, a casino, and boat hire on the lake. The hotel was a popular meeting point for the elite, and was visited by the King of Serbia and his entourage. 1919 The hotel passed into Slovenian ownership after the end of WW I. The new owner, Jula Vovk Molnar renamed it the Toplice Hotel, meaning thermal spring, due to the site being a source of thermal water. She also enlarged and modernised the hotel. 1921 King Alexander selected Bled to be his summer residence and most political and diplomatic activity moved here from Belgrade. When in Bled, the diplomats stayed at the Toplice Hotel. 1930 1931 The hotel was again enlarged and modernised in this period under the leadership of Austrian architect Franz Baumgartner. Upon completion in June 1931, the hotel comprised 123 rooms and had 212 beds. The hotel was constructed to the most modern standards of the time and was the most luxurious in the country. Jula Molnar renamed it the Grand Hotel Toplice. The most prominent feature of the hotel was its elegant lobby with large picture windows affording a magnificent view of the lake, island and castle. 1931 1938 The reopening of the hotel attracted the elite of the day in even greater numbers. The hotel was the scene of a variety of important conferences, and was used three times by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. In addition to politicians and diplomats, the hotel was also popular among artists and celebrities. 1932 Jula Molnar invited the Czechoslovak national ice-hockey team to Bled and organised an international hockey game between Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia on the frozen lake in front of the Grand Hotel Toplice. The world champion Czechoslovaks won 24 0. 1938 1940 The Grand Hotel Toplice was the summer residence of the president of the Yugoslav government, and the government gathered here in 1940 to sign an important agreement. 1941 1946 The hotel was used as a headquarters by the Germans during the occupation. Immediately after liberation in May 1945, injured partisan soldiers convalesced here. The hotel reopened to paying customers on May 1 1946. from 1948 Construction of the Vila Bled was completed to serve as the summer residence of the Yugoslav president Tito. Once again, the foreign ministry and its entourage of diplomats moved to Bled from Belgrade each summer and the dignitaries customarily stayed at the Grand Hotel Toplice. The hotel became used to being the setting of important events and meetings from 1955 President Tito decided to spend his summers on the islands of Brioni instead of in Bled, and thus the various diplomats and journalists followed him. 1965 The Festival Hall in Bled was the scene of a world congress of writers, organised by the Slovenian Writers Association. Among the numerous literary figures who stayed at the Grand Hotel Toplice were Arthur Miller (former husband of Marilyn Monroe), and two other winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Ignazio Silone and Pablo Neruda. Hotel Luisenbad 1903. Grand Hotel Toplice 1925. Terrace under the Hotel Luisenbad 1918. Coffee-house Toplice after 1918. Hotel Belvedere 1930. Grand Hotel Toplice 1929. Private bathing-places during I. and II. world war. Grand Hotel Toplice 1936. Outdoor swimming pool 1936. 1966 Bled hosted the first world rowing championships, due to the patronage of the Swiss Thomas Keller, president of FISA, the international rowing association, who was a prominent friend of Bled and the hotel. Under his influence, Bled was awarded two further world championships, in 1976 and 1989. Only Lucerne in Switzerland has so far hosted the world championships on more occasions. 1967 1968 The Grand Hotel Toplices slight decline relative to other excellent hotels in the country necessitated a further renovation. All of the rooms were equipped with new furniture and the suites were refurbished in an elegant period style. After redevelopment, the hotel featured 120 rooms and 203 beds. The hotel operated as an independent company from 1947 to 1969, and then merged with others to form the Hoteli Toplice Bled. 1969 1980 The hotel continued to welcome prominent visitors, including the then president of Bavaria, Franz Josef Strauss (1969), King Hussein of Jordan (1978), Willy Brandt (1979), and renowned heart surgeon Chris Barnard (1982). Although there were fewer governmental meetings held at the hotel in the 1970s and 1980s, foreign businesspeople kept coming and this led to the hotel joining the exclusive Steigenberger hotel chain in 1972. 1981 The company merged with the Institute for the Promotion and Development of Tourism in Bled and operated within HTP Bled (the Bled hotel tourist company). 1984 The Government of the Republic of Slovenia permitted the use of the Vila Bled by tourists and the Vila Bled joined HTP Bled. 1990 HTP Bled restructured itself in 1990, and the Grand Hotel Toplice Bled was established as a company. It became a private limited company, the Grand Hotel Toplice Bled d.o.o., upon successful completion of the privatisation process in 2000. 1991 1994 Following Slovenian independence in 1991, the Grand Hotel Toplice once again found itself at the centre of diplomatic activity. Visitors in this period included South African foreign minister Pik Botha, Lord Carrington and Madeleine Albright. The latter took the opportunity to renew her acquaintance with the hotel, as she had, as a four-year-old girl, spent a family holiday here in 1946, while her father was a Czech diplomat in Yugoslavia. 2000 The hotel was privatised in 2000, and became a member of the Sava group. The Sava Hoteli Bled are part of the Tourism Division of the Sava group and this family of hotels includes the Grand Hotel Toplice, the Vila Bled, the Jadran and the Trst hotels, as well as the Golf and Park hotels, the Golf Apartments, Bled Golf Country Club and Camping Bled. 2001 2002 The most recent renovation of the Grand Hotel Toplice took place between November 2001 and April 2002. This ensured that the hotel remains one of the most luxurious in Slovenia and meets the expectations of the most demanding guests from around the world.

tradition and style location: on the shores of Lake Bled near the centre of one of the most beautiful alpine resorts accommodation: 87 comfortable guestrooms in the style of the 1930s, including 33 luxurious suites conference facilities: Grand Hall, accommodating a maximum of 270 delegates, Panorama Hall (150), Bridge Room (20), Presidential Lounge (40) wellness facilities : private lido, indoor swimming pool with thermal water drawn directly from the spring, saunas, solarium, beauty and massage parlour, rowing boats on the lake hospitality and cuisine : Grand Restaurant, Julijana Restaurant, bar facilities close by: Casino Bled, Panorama Restaurant with an occasional programme of live entertainment and dancing, Bled Golf Country Club (4 km), Lesce sports airfield (5 km)

Grand Restaurant The hotel restaurant, which has a wonderful view of the lake, serves tasty local and international dishes as well as first class Slovenian wines. Entertainment and special events facilities are also available. Open 7 am to 10 pm. Juliana Restaurant The Juliana a la carte restaurant has a summer terrace and delights gourmets with its selection of exquisite dishes and wines. Open 12 noon to 11 pm, during the winter season from 6pm to 11pm. Bar The Lake Salon and the cosy hotel bar are ideal places to enjoy a drink, cocktail, hors doeuvres or a delicious dessert. Open 8 am to 1 am. Jezero Day Bar Refreshments, desserts and hors doeuvres are served in the bar by the thermal swimming pool and on the delightful summer terrace under the shady chestnut trees. Open 10 am to 9 pm. Panorama Restaurant The nearby Panorama Restaurant offers daily menus. Guests can dance to the tunes of live music at weekends. Open 9 am to 1 am.

Each of the 87 rooms and suites of the Grand Hotel Toplice has a character of its own. Guests are charmed by the hotels traditional style, attracted by the harmony of selected materials and indulged by its luxurious comfort. All rooms are equipped with:; bathrooms with bath and shower;; balcony;; direct-dial telephone;; cable television;; mini bar;; safe; air-conditioning; internet access. The rooms and 33 luxurious suites are furnished with stylish antique furniture. Many have a beautiful view of the lake. Some of the rooms are specially adjusted for the needs of people with disabilities.

The Grand Hotel Toplice sets outstanding standards in the organisation of business, training and social events as well as governmental meetings. The facilities comprise the multipurpose Grand and Panorama halls as well as the Presidential Lounge and Bridge Room. All are fully equipped with state-of-the-art technical features, and are suitable for holding a diverse range of conferences, seminars and other functions. Daylight and a magnificent view of Bled Lake make the environment especially stimulating for work and social events. The Panorama Restaurant or the other facilities in Grand Hotel Toplice are ideal for gala dinners, banquets or receptions. Guests may be served on the summer terrace with a view of the lake when the weather is nice.

 Luggage storage
 Breakfast may be served in the room
 Central situation
 Conference and meeting room
 Credit cards accepted
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Lift
 Facsimile services
 Fitness hall
 Games room
 Hairdryer
 Hairdresser's saloon
 Heating
 Jacuzzi tub
 Licensed bar
 Fully stocked mini bar
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Pets are accepted
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Clock/radio
 Restaurant
 Safe deposit box
 Sauna
 Shop on premises
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Solarium
 Swimming pool
 Phone at reception
 Phones in rooms
 TV sets in rooms
 Patio, summer terrace
 Common room with a TV set