Between Ideology and Identity. A Comparative Study of Socialist Hotel Architecture in Albania and the Balkans
Year: 2026

Abstract This paper examines the ideological foundations and architectural development of Albania’s socialist-era hotels, placing them in the Balkan context and Eastern Europe’s reconstruction following World War II. It explores how communist governments used tourism infrastructure, especially hotels, as a socio-political instrument to support ideological narratives through architectural form in addition to promoting state-approved leisure. The study looks at common typologies that reflected glo