The first guest registered at the front desk of Howard Johnson Grand Plaza in Bucharest during the very first day of opening was Mrs. Dagmar Jakabova from Czech Republic.

Mrs. Jakabova works for Medicover and came to Bucharest for one month. She became not only the first but also the guest with the longest stay at the hotel until now.

"I thought I was among the first guests of the hotel because all the personnel paid me a lot of attention. It never happened to me to be the first guest in a hotel and it was strange and beautiful in the same time to see so many people around me. I like to stay here, in the center of the city. The building is very high so I do not get lost if I go for a walk" says Mrs. Jakabova.

The first two cocktails in the recently opened hotel took place in Centro - bar & lounge and Avalon Restaurant.

Occupancy rate of the hotel for the first two weeks was 30%, appreciated as satisfactory by Antoni V. Kuhnen, the general manager of Howard Johnson Grand Plaza. "We estimate an occupancy rate for this year of 60-65% and a turnover of 10 million Euro. It's a good start!"

Howard Johnson Grand Plaza Hotel is the most recently, deluxe hotel opened in Bucharest featuring 285 rooms and suites. The Hotel has two restaurants - Avalon and Benihana, two bars - Centro and a sushi bar, two conference centers that can accommodate about 1000 people, a health club and a two-storey guarded underground parking.

SC Grand Plaza Hotel SA, whose shareholders are several individuals and legal persons, controls the hotel according to a franchise contract.