On a trip to the seaside in 1920, Queen Mary of Romania fell in love with the beautiful beach of Mamaia and commissioned a villa so she could spend her summers there. The construction for the Royal Palace of Mamaia began in 1923 and was completed in 1926. The Neo-Romanian style villa was designed following the plans of Italian architect Mario Stoppa and consists of lower horizontal volumes with terraces and a watchtower as the main vertical element. The design pays tribute to the vernacular architecture of the area. The contractor was Carlo Actis, with architect Constantin D. Dobrescu in charge of the execution. The Royal Palace of Mamaia is currently a listed building.