Negresco

How the Stage was Set HISTORY IN BRIEF 1913: The brainchild of hotelier Henri Negresco (see below), the hotel was opened. 1920: The hotel had stumbled into decline after World War I and Mr Negresco died a ruined man in Paris. 1954: The hotel was bought by the Augier family – better times loomed large. HISTORY IN DETAIL 1868: Henri Negresco was born in Bucharest. 1868-1913: The Early Days of Henri Negresco Negresco worked in his father’s inn until the age of 13, when he opted to travel west in search of his fortune. He worked his way though many cities before landing in Paris. In the City of Light he won a reputation as the best "maître d'hôtel" in town, working at The Helder. Thereafter, he became manager of the restaurant at the Municipal Casino in Nice. It became the premier restaurant along the Côte d’Azur, favoured by kings, princes and rich Americans such as the Rockefellers, Vanderbildts and Singers. Negresco started to dream of building a palace on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. A wealthy industrialist by the name of Alexandre Darracq became interested in his plans and together they visited the most prestigious European and American hotels to see for themselves just what was expected. Prominent Dutch architect Edouard Niermans was chosen to build the hotel. 1913: The hotel was inaugurated in triumph. 1914: World War I broke out and the hotel was turned into a hospital. 1918: By then, the vast majority of the Riviera's wealthy clientele had completely disappeared and Henri Negresco realised that he was ruined. 1920: Negresco died in Paris at the age of 52. 1920-57: The Negresco was owned by a Belgian company. 1945: After World War II tourists started to come back to the Côte d'Azur, but it was different to before. This was the age of short-stay tourists and business travel as opposed to the long-duration guests of yesteryear. Gradually the hotel declined. 1957: The hotel fell into the hands of the Augier family. Madame Jeanne Augier reinvigorated the hotel with luxurious decorations and furnishings, including an outstanding art collection and rooms with mink bedspreads. 1974, October: The hotel was proclaimed a National Historic Monument.

Over the years, the hotel has been graced by the likes of: From the World of Politics Queen Elizabeth of England Emperor Hirohito of Japan Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco Aga Khan III King Baudoin of Belgium President Truman Winston Churchill From the World of Business Nelson Rockefeller From the World of Art and Literature Jean Cocteau Marc Chagall Henri Matisse Picasso Dali From the World of Entertainment Rostropovitch Rubinstein Montserrat Caballé Charles Aznavour Louis Amstrong The Beatles Elton John Gilbert Bécaud Maurice Chevalier Yves Montand Mireille Mathieu Edith Piaf Michael Jackson Frank Sinatra Brigitte Bardot Jean-Paul Belmondo Tony Curtis Charlie Chaplin Catherine Deneuve Alain Delon Marlène Dietrich James Dean Kirk Douglas Clint Eastwood Elisabeth Taylor Richard Burton Orson Welles MarIon Brando David Niven Charles Bronson Cary Grant Gary Cooper Ava Gardner Sophia Loren Gina Lollobrigida Burt Lancaster Anthony Quinn Alfred Hitchcock Omar Sharlf Rudolph Valentino Walt Disney.