A slender, modern building situated in a small cobble-stoned street in the heart of the former Jewish district of Kraków—this is Warszauer Hotel. The 10-room establishment opened in January 2022, stands out while still perfectly complementing its environment. Marta Gajewska, the mind and soul behind this extraordinary boutique hotel gave us a special tour of the building while explaining the concept behind this exceptional place.
This article was published in print in Hype&Hyper 2022/1.
Photos: Kata Balogh
Designer of LAU jewellery, Marta Gajewska’s original idea was to open an extravagantly designed breakfast place serving excellent dishes. She was looking for the perfect spot when she stumbled upon the building in Kazimierz district that today houses Hotel Warszauer. When she learnt that expanding the building was possible, she immediately jumped into the hotel project, and this is how the building ended up with four extra floors.
Her goal was to create a unique look for the hotel where classic aesthetics with timeless designer pieces like the Marcel Breuer Wassily chair or the Gubi lounge chairs can still ooze a one-of-a-kind, modern atmosphere. The modern atmosphere is owed to using raw, striking materials and techniques such as béton brut, marble or terrazzo and the extravagantly arranged rooms with inviting lighting and colourful glass surfaces. The wooden panelling created with the Japanese shou sugi ban technique, and the 3D raw wooden surfaces on the hallways, embracing guests just like the Elephant Chair—are also part of the amazing selection of furniture—deserve an individual mention.
What makes this hotel really unique is the personal touch and unique style of its designer. As with her jewellery creations, and in her interiors, Marta projects her inner world into everything she designs—simplicity with an exciting twist, as she likes to say. Impressions and experiences gathered through her professional and personal life, translated into incredible spaces—this is the essence of the Warszauer, and this is why this hotel is unlike any local or international establishments that Marta came across during her travels.
The walls of both the rooms and the community areas are decorated with the works of Polish painter Tomasz Opaliński. After visiting the construction site, he designed his collection especially for the hotel. The pottery in the dining area is equally as unique, made by local design brand, Klo.
Warszauer Hotel’s magic not only comes from its exceptional design. Due to the hotel’s size, it’s not your ordinary, cold, urban hotel, but a home away from home where the small team treats you like a family member, even if you’re only spending one night with them.
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