Quite frankly breathtakingly, gobsmackingly incredible. Why the superlatives about a hotel you might ask – well it really ought to be seen to be believed. Set in a lesser trodden part of Gdynia, 5 minutes’ drive from the Klif shopping mall, this is a renovated palace set in parkland which now serves as a luxury and business class hotel out of two detached buildings joined by a tunnel. The tunnel is a clue to the theme as is the name. The Quadrille is a dance that was fashionable in the late 18th century, and referenced by Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland.

The main building dates to the 18th century when it was built by members of the ancient Pomeranian von Krockow family. It was remodelled in the late 19th century by a new owner and after Poland regained independence in 1918, the palace became the property of the Warsaw Middle and High School Teachers’ Association. Taken over by the Gestapo after Poland was occupied in 1939, many Gdynians passed through its doors in the second half of the century when it was converted to a school. The school closed in 2007 and the building stood empty slowing decaying, aside from partial use of the downstairs by the Gdynia Film School, until 2013 when it was bought by the Gorski family. They set about not just resurrecting the former palace but giving it a whole new lease of life.

The main building houses 11 extremely stylish deluxe rooms all named after a famous writer e.g. Emily Bronte or F. Scott Fitzgerald and each is individually decorated with such attention to detail that every item – be it lampshade, bath tile or wallpaper has a story behind it. On the ground floor there are three rooms acting as a Polish restaurant (Bialy Królik – the White Rabbit), with one of the three acting as the breakfast room.

As you might have already guessed there is a strong ​​​​Alice in Wonderland motif going on here and it isn't beyond the imagination to think of yourself having entered a completely different world. The theme runs through the whole concept of Quadrille, from the name itself, which refers to the quadrille danced by the novel’s characters, through the White Rabbit restaurant referring to Alice’s guide in the fantasy world, to 10/6 Pub – the name derived from the Mad Hatter’s Day. The entrance hall is decorated by a black-and-white floor as a reference to the game of chess played by the main characters of the novel, and the interior design of the Palace really does creates a fairy-tale illusion.

The restaurant is also wonderfully unusual, insisting on offering only Polish and more specifically local products in its regional menu, while the art on the wall features wonderful pictures like one of an owl’s head imposed on a soldier’s body and others featuring the owners themselves. You might consider that a little egocentric but we’ve seen huge money spent badly before and with the job they’ve done here, we’re not going to begrudge the owners the chance to have their picture painted in Alice in Wonderland costume. The palace basement holds a bar and access to the tunnel which connects you with the new build 100m away where you find a pool, spa, 2 saunas and 19 high quality rooms and an apartment.

All of this comes at €70-100 for a single in the annex and under €150-300 a night for one of the Palace Rooms. Granted it’s not cheap but show us as a unique and high-quality hotel in most places in the world and compare the price. It’s worth travelling to Gdynia just to stay here in our opinion. One thing to note is that they tell us that the whole Quadrille facility is intended for adults and they therefore invite people over 16 years old. Interesting policy.