Thanks to its continuous activity in the provision of accommodation and hospitality services since 1869, Hotel Bankov is the oldest continuously existing hotel in Slovakia.
An old legend says that the name of the hotel and the entire location is derived from a pilgrim named Bankó, who in 1630 was helped by the local mineral water to cure his sight.
The place near the springs became a sought-after pilgrimage site, where in 1765 the chapel of the Holy Cross was built, which is still part of the hotel today.
The construction of Hotel Bankov began in 1867. The client of the building was the City of Košice. It was realized according to the projects of Michal Répaszký (1833–1909) by the builder Peter Jakab (1834–1903).
The city hotel with 22 rooms, spa rooms and a restaurant was ceremonially handed over for use on April 22, 1869.
In the same year, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was established. Thanks to its rich water springs, such as the Prameň Lujza spring in front of the hotel, Bankov is becoming a sought-after relaxation and spa place for visitors from various corners of the monarchy, who also build their summer houses here.
The hotel overcame the period of the First World War, the First Czecho-Slovak Republic, the subsequent Second World War and the period of communism and remains faithful to its accommodation and hospitality tradition to this day.
The modern look of Hotel Bankov was given by the reconstruction of this historical building from 1994-1996.
It brought success to its authors, architects Martin Drahovský, Petr Pásztor and their collaborator Pavlov Šimek, in the form of the Jurkovič Award and the title Building of the Year 1997.
The last renovation of the hotel took place in 2008. Its benefit is 10 new elegant attic rooms, which increased the hotel's capacity to 70 beds