Competition for new Zarea hotel ideas
The "Zarea" Hotel, located in the capital’s historic center near Cathedral Park, is set for modernization. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan says the building has greater potential than is currently being realized and has invited creators to submit ideas for its redevelopment.
The site covers 3,100 square meters, and the building has 12 floors and over 6,000 square meters of space, with potential "far greater than what is currently being realized," the Prime Minister said.
"We are announcing a competition for young architects and creative professionals, inviting them to submit concepts for what a new 'Zarea' Hotel could look like," the Prime Minister stated in a video message released on Friday, September 18.
Concepts—which should focus on the economic and urban development potential of the property—may be submitted by October 4 to the email address [email protected].
The tender takes place against the backdrop of the privatization process for the state-owned enterprise "Zarea" Hotel. On June 19, the Public Property Agency (PPA) announced an open-outcry auction to sell the enterprise, starting at 106 million lei, with an initial bid submission deadline of August 19. Subsequently, the PPA extended the privatization tender period to October 20, following a request by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan to consider extending the deadline.
According to the PPA, the hotel has attracted potential investors due to its strategic location in the capital's center and its development potential. The property is being offered for privatization subject to specific conditions designed to protect nearby critical infrastructure.
The hotel is located at 4 Anton Pann Str, near the Triumphal Arch and the Great National Assembly Square. Nearby landmarks include the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, the A. Pushkin Museum, the National Bank of Moldova, and several central public administration institutions.
The facility comprises 137 rooms. The complex also includes a conference room for up to 30 people and a café seating up to 50.
According to the investment profile presented by the PPA, the property can continue to operate as a hotel or be repurposed for administrative, office, commercial, or mixed-use functions, depending on the future investor's strategy.
Data from the investment profile indicates that the enterprise's turnover has steadily increased in recent years, rising from 2.72 million lei in 2021 to 9.75 million lei in 2025.
