Between history and modernity: "Casino" Sinaia
"Do you like living in the past?"
"No, I don't, but I enjoy visiting it very often."
Situated in the northern area of the "Dimitrie Ghica" park, Sinaia "Casino" still represents one of the architectural symbols of the resort. The stately edifice was built in record time, only one year (1912–1913), in the same place where Sinaia’s first villa, raised by Prince Dimitrie Ghica, was built. The stockholder of Sinaia Casino was Baron of Marçay, who was also a key shareholder at the Monte Carlo Casino; this is why it has been speculated that the Romanian building would be the architectural copy of the French edifice. In fact, there are only a few elements of indoor architecture that could confirm the resemblance between the two casinos.
In 1913, the opening of the Casino marked a very important event; in this sense, the authorities called Alexander Davila to present a refined show, attended by The Royal Family, Titu Maiorescu and The Prime Minister of the country at that time. The unforgettable evening kept on with an outstanding piano performance by George Enescu and ended with a tremendous fireworks show.
Due to its elegance and irresistible games, the Casino shortly became one of the main attractions of the resort, and also an important source of income for its shareholders, the Board of Civil Hospitals and the Town Hall.
The aristocracy arrived every weekend here in order to play roulette, cards (baccarat or Brazilian), rummy, chess, backgammon and Nine Men's Morris. At four o'clock in the afternoon, when the game rooms were opened, the players got off the Bucharest-Sinaia "temptations train" that rolled only on Saturdays and Sundays. "The social magnet" hosted each and every game day at least 800 people, an unconceivable ebb and flow in our days. On the 13 tables in the big Mirrors' Hall, lighted by crystal chandeliers, the players were playing roulette, while in The Oval Room, they were playing "chemin-de-fer". In the restaurant-bar, everybody could eat, drink and dance on jazz rhythms. The smaller room, "la salle privée", had only two game tables, where the minimum bet was five times bigger than the one in the other halls.
It is said that, before entering the Casino, the players, being confident in the chance of a significant profit, used to throw coins in the fountain near the building. But once entered, they were quickly seduced by the game and they were losing great amounts of money; after that, they were loaning huge sums and were signing policies equivalent to a fortune just to keep playing; and, as if gaining was everything, women were betting their jewelry and men, their gold-chained watches.
After the Second World War, the Ministerial Committee for Economic Recovery and Monetary Stabilization decided that the Sinaia Casino, among other touristic objectives, would be transferred from the administration of the Board of Civil Hospitals to that of the estate. Starting from that point, the Casino, symbol of a place dedicated to games of chance, will be closed, and the building will be used for some time by the Red Cross Society for humanitarian purposes.
In the following years, after some major renovations, but with the same elegance which made it famous, the "Casino" became the Cultural House of the Syndicates in Sinaia. Having a different profile now, the edifice will house the town's library, and a lot of artistic and cultural manifestations, among which: artistic sets, theatrical shows, folklore shows and piano performances.
In 1978, the "Casino" was dedicated to some protocol activities; in February 1990, it entered under the administration of the Ministry of Culture, and a few days after, under that of the Ministry of Tourism. Later on, in 1995, the "Casino"'s administration was taken over by the State Protocol.
Nowadays, with an interesting history, an elegant architecture, and recent renovations, the administration of the institution is under the control of the Local Council of Sinaia town and lodges The International Conference Centre. Apart from the two car parks, the storage spaces, a terrace with an amazing panorama of the town, of Bucegi Mountains, and a splendid interior garden, the modern profile has 12 halls, in which both corporate and private events can be hosted:
- a) corporate events: conferences; meetings; conventions; seminars; press conferences; exhibitions; artistic inaugurations; round tables with a professional, cultural and scientific character; product launching; showrooms of: books, ready-made clothes, advertising (production, TV spots), catering, events organization; fashion shows; corporate anniversaries, prize award ceremonies; one-table restaurant; theme parties, such as: Valentine's Day, 1/8 March, Halloween, Christmas party, New Year's Eve party, Moulin Rouge, 1001 Nights party, the Prohibition in New York, carnival, the 60's-80's, Flower Power, Men's party, Kitsch party;
- b) private events: anniversaries; weddings, christenings; the bachelor's party; one-table restaurant.