From Palast-Hôtel to Premier Palace: How a Kyiv Hotel Witnessed More Than a Century of Ukrainian History
Kyiv Post takes a brief look at the history of the Ukrainian capital’s oldest luxury hotel: Premier Palace Hotel Kyiv is a five-star hotel with over a century of history dating back to 1909. Originally opened as the Palast-Hôtel, it quickly became a center of Kyiv’s social life, with a restaurant th
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In the heart of Kyiv, between Bessarabska Square and Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Premier Palace Hotel has welcomed guests for more than a century. Today, it remains one of Ukraine’s most recognizable hotels, with a history that began in 1909.
Originally, the hotel carried the cosmopolitan name Palast-Hôtel – combining the German word Palast and the French Hôtel. Early 20th-century Kyiv aspired to position itself as part of European high culture, and the new hotel reflected those ambitions in every detail.
Designed by architects Adolf Minkus and Fyodor Troupyansky, Palast-Hôtel embodied a blend of Art Nouveau, early Art Deco, and avant-garde ideas. It was considered one of the most technologically advanced hotels of its time, featuring central heating, elevators, hot water, telephones in guest rooms, electric lighting, and even vacuum cleaners – luxuries available only in Europe’s finest hotels.
One of the building’s most dramatic historical moments came in December 1918. It was here, in the residence of the Turkish ambassador inside Palast-Hôtel, that Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky signed his abdication.
Skoropadsky later recalled the atmosphere of those final hours:
“We kept thinking where we should move. The residence of the Turkish ambassador seemed the best option… Ahmed Mukhtar Bey lived in two rooms at the Palast Hotel… I realized everything was lost.”
Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov announced he is returning his Polish state award after Warsaw revoked Ukraine’s honor from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It was within these walls that one of the defining political decisions in Ukrainian history was made. The following day, the text of the abdication was published:
“I, the Hetman of Ukraine, for seven months made every effort to end this difficult situation… Considering the circumstances, I now agree to relinquish power solely for the good of Ukraine.”
At the time, the hotel effectively became a diplomatic hub of Kyiv. Foreign missions operated there, diplomats and military officials lived there, and its corridors filled with people desperately seeking documents to leave a country engulfed in war and revolution.
Today, the hotel’s “Hetman” suite commemorates that chapter of history.
Over the decades, the hotel changed names several times: Palast-Hôtel, Palace Hotel, Hotel Ukraina, and eventually Premier Palace. Yet throughout shifting political eras, it remained a symbol of Kyiv hospitality.
After World War II, the building was largely rebuilt. Architect Anatolii Dobrovolskyi insisted on preserving the historic façade and the iconic bas-relief of two female figures above the entrance – today one of the hotel’s defining architectural features.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the hotel once again found itself at the center of history.
(Image by Kyiv Post)
Following the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, evacuees from the exclusion zone were temporarily housed there. Hotel staff assisted families arriving in Kyiv with virtually no belongings or documents.
Then, on July 16, 1990, when the Ukrainian parliament adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, Hotel Ukraina became an unofficial headquarters of the democratic movement. Among those living and working there were Vyacheslav Chornovil, Mykhailo Horyn, Bohdan Horyn, Volodymyr Filenko, and Mykola Porovskyi.
In April 1991, a Soviet special forces unit stormed the hotel room of parliamentarian Stepan Khmara and arrested him inside the building – an episode widely seen as one of the Soviet system’s final attempts to maintain control over Ukraine.
But the momentum of change was becoming unstoppable. On Aug. 24, 1991, Ukraine declared independence.
Over the years, the luxury Kyiv hotel hosted royalty, presidents, actors, musicians, and athletes.
Among its most famous guests were Sophia Loren, Ornella Muti, Elton John, David Beckham, Steven Spielberg, Patricia Kaas, Montserrat Caballé, and Lenny Kravitz.
Polish film director Jerzy Hoffman described the hotel as one of his favorite places in Kyiv.
Royal guests included Prince Michael of Kent, while political figures such as Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Javier Solana also stayed there.
The hotel was also popular among Ukraine’s artistic elite, including Bohdan Stupka – one of the country’s most celebrated theater and film actors.
Several suites carry distinctive historical identities.
The “Hetman” panoramic suite is designed in a Ukrainian Baroque style, featuring oak parquet floors, decorative weapons, Cossack motifs, and natural wood textures evoking the atmosphere of old Ukraine.
Another suite is dedicated to Serge Lifar – the Kyiv-born dancer, choreographer, and longtime star of the Paris Opera Ballet. Inspired by the aesthetics of ballet and European modernism, the spacious two-room suite overlooks Taras Shevchenko Boulevard and pays tribute to one of the most influential figures in 20th-century ballet.
There is also a suite associated with Oleksandr Vertynskyi – the Kyiv-born actor, composer, poet, and singer who became one of the Soviet Union’s most beloved entertainers. During filming at the Dovzhenko Film Studio in 1955, Vertynskyi stayed at Hotel Ukraina and regularly wrote letters to his wife from there.
In one of them, he confessed:
“All week I was at the studio from seven in the morning until two at night… I am completely exhausted… I finally had a bath – what bliss.”
In the early 2000s, the hotel underwent a major reconstruction. Its historic façade was preserved, while the interior was transformed into a contemporary five-star property with panoramic atriums, a glass-roof swimming pool, and new luxury suites.
At the start of the new millennium, the hotel adopted its current name – Premier Palace.
Perhaps it is the most fitting name for a place that survived empires, totalitarianism, wars, reconstruction, and now the defense of independent Ukraine – while remaining an inseparable part of Kyiv’s layered history.
Today, the story continues in a new form.
During wartime, the hotel adapted to new realities by transforming its underground conference halls into secure event venues. Located on the minus-one floor, the spaces can accommodate up to 250 guests and respond to one of the defining demands of modern Ukraine: combining professional service with security.
These facilities are now frequently used by international organizations, diplomatic missions, and foundations operating in Ukraine.
The hotel has increasingly focused on its MICE direction – conferences, strategic sessions, forums, and business meetings – where continuity and safety are as important as atmosphere and prestige.
Premier Palace Hotel Kyiv continues to evolve together with the city itself. More than a century ago, thousands gathered there for social events and conversation. Today, the essence remains the same, even if the form has changed.
The hotel remains a place where decisions are made, meetings take place, and Kyiv’s future continues to be shaped.
Sources used in the article: Andres Augustin, “Premier Palace Kyiv” from the series The Most Famous Hotels In The World (2009); M. Kalnytskyi, V. Kyrkevych, M. Hrytsyk, “Kyiv: Tourist Guide” (2001).
