Everything known about the hotel's history and owners following the disaster at Grand Kartal
While 76 people lost their lives in the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, the treatment of the injured continues. As details regarding the hotel's history and owner are being sought, it has been learned that the hotel was founded by Mazhar Murtezaoğlu. Following Murtezaoğlu's death, the management of the hotel passed to his daughter, Emine Ergül, and his son-in-law, Halit Ergül. Halit Ergül's other investments in the sector and his identity are also drawing attention. So, who is the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel? Who is Halit Ergül, and does he have other hotels?
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The fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya Ski Center, one of the important winter tourism centers of Bolu, has led to a major tragedy.
While 76 of the 238 people staying at the hotel lost their lives, 29 injured individuals have been discharged. The 22 injured who are still receiving treatment are being kept under observation in hospitals.
WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE GRAND KARTAL HOTEL?
Following the fire, eyes turned to the history and owners of the Grand Kartal Hotel, one of the iconic facilities of Kartalkaya. The hotel was founded in 1978 by the famous tourism professional Mazhar Murtezaoğlu. After Murtezaoğlu's death, the management was taken over by his daughter, Emine Ergül, and his son-in-law, Halit Ergül.
Grand Kartal, which is the second-largest hotel in the region in terms of bed capacity, was built with inspiration from American ski hotels. The hotel, which draws attention with its wooden structure and decorative elements, played a key role in the development of tourism in Kartalkaya.
WHO IS MAZHAR MURTEZAOĞLU?
Born in Rize in 1926, Mazhar Murtezaoğlu discovered Turkey's winter tourism potential and laid the foundations of the Kartalkaya Ski Center in 1974. Murtezaoğlu became one of the pioneering figures in turning Kartalkaya into a tourism paradise.
Murtezaoğlu, who passed away in 2019, had his name given to streets in Bolu and Sakarya. Furthermore, the life of Murtezaoğlu, who was awarded by the Bolu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was recounted in the book “Bolu’da İz Bırakanlar 1 - Bir Kış Masalı Mazhar Murtezaoğlu” (Those Who Left a Mark in Bolu 1 - A Winter Tale: Mazhar Murtezaoğlu) written by Hüseyin Tunçay.
WHO IS HALİT ERGÜL?
The current owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, Halit Ergül, also serves as the President of the Western Black Sea Hoteliers Association and as the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bolu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ergül, who is the Black Sea Regional Representative of the Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), is known as one of the influential figures in the tourism sector.
DID MAZHAR MURTEZAOĞLU HAVE OTHER HOTELS?
Murtezaoğlu's other hotel in Kartalkaya, the Kartal Hotel, is operated by his son. Additionally, Halit Ergül is also the owner of the Gazelle Resort & SPA hotel in Bolu.