Hotel Francuski was built between 1911 and 1912 according to a design by Zbigniew Odrzywolski and Bronisław Colonna-Czosnowski. The facility was opened on 1 June 1912, and at that time, it was the most modern hotel in Krakow, equipped with all the wonders of that era's technology - its own automobile bringing guests from the railway station, pneumatic post, central heating, bathtubs in bathrooms and even taps covered with gold. No wonder then that it quickly gained a reputation as the most exclusive hotel in the city, becoming a favourite meeting place for Krakow's intellectual elite.
Hotel Francuski was also the place where the Polish Olympic Committee was established on 12 October 1919. Prince Stefan Lubomirski became the president, and the Head of State Józef Piłsudski became the patron of the Committee. The position of honorary president was given to General Józef Haller. The history of achievements of Polish sport connected with the Polish Olympic Committee can be admired in the Olympic Room of Hotel Francuski, where the founding act of the Committee for Poland's participation in the Olympic Games was signed (the name was in force until 1925).
In the post-war years, the building was nationalised but continued to serve as a hotel. In 1955 the hotel underwent its first renovation; another took place between 1988 and 1991. In 2022 the hotel's interior underwent a facelift, skilfully combining classical architecture with modern design.
