Eight (8) assorted unusual and sometimes rare reminders of the jetset era when royalty, celebrities, and the elite were catered to in luxurious surroundings of the old days; ashtrays (souvenir dishes) from the 1950s and early1960s, as described in detail below (obtained personally during travels with my grandparents):
1) Grand Hotel Flora, Rome
4.25" (10.8cm) dia. x 0.75" (2cm) high
2 depressions in inner ring for cigarettes
mark on back -- (S.C.O Orvieto) = Servizio Centrale Operativo
hand painted
like new condition; no cracks or chips
The Grand Hotel Flora is a Neoclassical building in Rome, now a Marriott. Its construction was completed in 1907, and the hotel quickly became the destination of those on the grand tour across Europe.
2) Royal Hotel Sanremo (rectangular)
3.5" (8.9cm) x 5.25" (13.3cm) long x max. 1" (2.5cm) high
mark on back: Made in Italy, I.C.V (Industria Ceramica Vicentina) Vicenza plus a salamander in a square
The Royal Hotel in San Remo has been a grand hotel since 1872 on the Italian Riviera of flowers (built by the Berolini family). It is still an oasis combining exclusive atmosphere with elegant comfort and impeccable service.
3, 4, 5) Royal Hotel Sanremo (round)
5.25" (13.3cm) dia. x 0.75" (2cm) high
3 examples; each is different - one with the name of the hotel; two without; one with pottery mark on back
all hand painted; each is different
one has marks on the bottom: salamander and foliage in a shield with "Made in Italy and Dècorè à la main" (as new condition except for a tiny chip on bottom footer rim)
one has no marks and no hotel name; as new condition except for a single small chip on the underside of rim
one has hotel name but no pottery marks; as new condition; no chips, cracks, or blemishes of any kind
6) Hotel Amigo, Bruxelles
4 3/8"(11.1cm) dia. x 1 1/8" (2.9cm) high
v. good condition, with a bit of the gold leaf on the rim worn and a single tiny chip on rim
no marks on back
This is an historic hotel near the Grand Place; now a member of the Rocco Forte group. The building is first mentioned in city records in 1522 and has been a hotel since 1957. It was converted by the Blaton family to host royals, celebrities, and VIPs visiting the 1958 World Exposition.
7,8) Hotel Westbury, Bruxelles
5" (12.7cm) dia. x 1" (2.5cm) high
2 ashtrays
no markings on back
gray one - v. good condition with a few tiny chips on the outer rim
yellow one - good condition with some small chips along outer rim
This hotel was finished in 1963, designed by architect Robert Goffaux; and then demolished in 2003.