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The Grand Efes Hotel (Also, known as Swissotel Grand Efes Izmir or Swissotel Büyük Efes) is a hotel located near Chumhuriyet Square in Izmir, Turkey. It is part of the Swissotel Hotel & Resorts chain.
History
The initial design of the hotel was prepared by architect Paul Bonatz in 1950, but was soon discontinued due to the architect's health problems. The project was soon reassigned to and completed by Turkish architect Fatih Uran. The hotel opened officially in 1964.
The hotel was originally owned by The Pension Fund (Emekl Sandığı). It was severely damaged by fire. In 2003 a new architectural project for the hotel was prepared by HAS Architecture and NBBJ (a global American architecture firm). In April 2008, the hotel reopened as Swisshotel Grand Efes.
The hotel is located near Cumhuriyet Square, which was constructed after the great fire of Smyrna in 1922. The famous Atatürk Monument is situated in the square.