MfD: The Brno hotel Avion is for sale

Brno - The functionalist Hotel Avion in the center of Brno is for sale. Its current owner, Stanislav Berousek, does not have the funds for renovation and is getting rid of the hotel, Mladá fronta Dnes (MfD) reported today. Berousek, who did not receive EU funds for the hotel repair last year, according to CTK's information, has not applied for new funding.
    "I regret it, but we no longer have the money," the paper quoted Berousek. The owner refused to comment further on the sale. "It won't be public, and neither is the price public," he added. According to the paper, the sale of the heritage site could be problematic, as the new owner will have to pay for renovations amounting to tens of millions of crowns.
    According to the South Moravian regional councilor for culture, Pavel Balík (KDU-ČSL), the region, which oversees national monuments, has limited options to influence what will happen with the hotel further. "If the new owner does not alter the construction of the building, we cannot do anything. Unfortunately, a casino could even be created in the Avion," he told the paper.
    Last autumn, Berousek told CTK that if he manages to secure funds for the renovation of the famous building, he would start this year. The dates originally planned for the restoration of the hotel from the 1920s have already been postponed several times, with the last plan being to start last spring. However, Berousek failed in his last application for EU funding last year, and he has not applied for new funding.
    Last February, the government included Avion in the group of buildings with the highest heritage protection. Declaring monuments as national cultural heritage means their reclassification to a higher category, declaring their extraordinary cultural significance.
    Most recently, last spring, the functionalist heritage site by architect Bohuslav Fuchs did not receive funds from the EU program that allocates finances for South Moravia and Vysočina. The application was unsuccessful partly because there are supposedly many hotels in the center of Brno, and tourists would not utilize another one. However, experts argue that comparing the Avion to standard tourist hotels in the center was not correct.
    The hotel, built in 1928, is also a rarity, as it is among the narrowest hotels in Europe. It has been closed since last January.
    The owner collaborated with architect Eva Jiřičná on the original renovation plans. According to them, the renovated gem of Brno was to offer visitors 37 rooms, a glass terrace with a view of the city, and a wine cellar in the basement.