El Djazair
"Heaven still exists," said Henri de Montherlant after a visit to the Hotel St. George, as the El-Djazair was formerly known. Overlooking the busy bay of Algiers and founded on the site of a former Spanish Moorish palace, the hotel has known some splendid days. It was during pre-war times that world travellers set down their cases to savour the easygoing and luxurious Algerian life. Situated around the hotel, in the middle of the city of Algiers, the El Djazair's botanical gardens contain a large number of rare Mediterranean trees, each labelled by species.
HISTORY IN BRIEF 1889: Opening of the Hotel St. George 1942: The hotel becomes the headquarters of allied forces in Algeria. 1982: The hotel is renamed El-Djazair HISTORY IN DETAIL 1889: The Hotel St. George, as it was then known, opened its doors to greet friends and guests of rich English families living in Algiers, among luxury to which they were accustomed. The hotel was founded on the site of a former Spanish Moorish palace, of which there are still numerous reminders
1918: The St. George really came into its own as an internationally known five-star hotel and as one of the watering holes of the wandering rich after the 1914-18 World War. 1942, June 7: Winston Churchill and Eisenhower met there to discuss allied strategy. A few days after the conference Eisenhower dined at the Saint George with King George V 1942, November 10, 1942: A French-American conference attended by General Clark and Admiral Darlan, declared the North African armistice in one of the hotel's most magnificent dining rooms. It became known as the headquarters of the allied forces. General Eisenhower, Marshal Maitland Wilson, General Mark Wayne Clark and Colonel Woodward W. Stromberg as well as many other allied officers, stayed in the hotel for a number of months. 1942-48: Due to allied bombardment, the hotel was so badly damaged that it was closed. 1948: The repaired and refurbished hotel reopened in 1948. With 180 rooms, the hotel offered comfort and charm to businessmen and tourists. 1980-82: Under a scheme set up by the Ministry of Tourism, the hotel was enlarged, improved and renamed the El-Djazair.
Rudyard Kipling, Simone de Beauvoir, Winston Churchill, Duke of Vendome, Baron de Rothschild, King of Greece, Andre Gide and Francis James.
18 Suites
In the evening enjoy one of the hotel's pleasures: relax with drinks on the terrace after a hard day's work, or simply savour the warm sea air which carries the sweet perfumes of tropical flowers through the quietness of the night.
The swimming pool