| Edificio Crillón | |
|---|---|
 The hotel in 1965 | |
 Interactive map of the Edificio Crillón area | |
| General information | |
| Location | Av. Nicolás de Piérola 589 |
| Coordinates | 12°02′57″S77°02′18″W / 12.04923118°S 77.03820694°W /-12.04923118; -77.03820694 |
| Inaugurated | 1947 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 22 |
Crillón Building (Spanish:Edificio Crillón) is anoffice building located atNicolás de Piérola Avenue in theHistoric Centre of Lima,Peru. From 1947 until 1999, it hosted theHotel Crillón, one of the city's most emblematic hotels, hosting well-known figures of the era, including foreign actors and musicians.[1]
It was inaugurated in 1947 by theSwissbusinessman Domingo Bezzola in an eight-story building that was originally built to be the headquarters of theLima Bar Association [es]. The intention was to compete with theGran Hotel Bolívar, located a few blocks away in thePlaza San Martín.[2] In 1957, 14 floors were built until reaching its final height of 22 floors. During its heyday it had 550 rooms, 650 beds, 700 employees, four bars and five restaurants. It was also famous for hosting actors and singers who visited Lima. Among its facilities were thePancho Fierro restaurant, theDon Pepe bar, its Convention Centre, theGrill La Balsa and itsSky Room, inaugurated on August 1, 1960.[1][3]
The 1960s were the hotel's most successful years.[4] TheSky Room, from where the city of Lima'sskyline could be seen, was the most lively and exclusive meeting centre in the city. In those years, the hotel hosted many celebrities such asMaría Félix,Charles Aznavour,John Wayne,Nat King Cole,Debbie Reynolds,Muhammad Ali andPelé. In the 1970s, fishing businessmanLuis Banchero Rossi, considered the richest man in Peru at that time, rented the entire 19th floor where he lived and set up his headquarters.[1][2][3]
The decline of thehistoric centre of Lima caused the decline of the hotel in the 1980s and 1990s. Hotel chains began their migration to the districts ofSan Isidro andMiraflores. In 1999, the Crillón closed its doors. The building was later acquired by theSpanish companyArte Express and serves as office space, aSUNAT office and space for teleworking.
