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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Continental hotel, built between 1880 and 1882 in Cauterets by the Palois architect Lucien Cottet for Catherine Balay, embodies the development of the major Pyrenean thermal hotels. Located at 5 boulevard Latapi-Flurin, it is distinguished by its facade adorned with cariatides, wrought iron balconies and sculptures made of stone from Angoulême, reflecting academic eclecticism. With 250 rooms equipped with electricity, telephone and hydraulic elevator, it competed with the Hotel of England, also offering a restaurant for 400 guests and an English garden.

Madame Balay, mistress of the hotel, operated the establishment until 1884 before he was seized for debt, then bought by a Lyon company and sold to Mr. and Mrs. Duconte. Between 1908 and 1925, the architect Jules Noutary modernized the hotel (cabinets, carpentry, paintings), assisted by Pierre Gabarret for structural works. Converted into apartments after World War II, it was classified as a Historic Monument in 1984 for its facades, bearing witness to the luxurious seaside architecture of the time.

The building, with a square plan around a carved inner courtyard, mixes grey Pyrenean limestone with white stone from Angoulême. Its five levels, covered with local slates, symbolize the thermal prestige with baroque details (guirlands, masks, curvilinear frontons). Built during the development of Latapi-Flurin Boulevard and the sewerage system in 1882, it attracted a demanding clientele, as evidenced by its lounges, its private omnibus and its daily rates (6 to 8 francs).

The hotel ceased its activity during the Second World War, marked by works interrupted during the First War (notably by the company Darrigrand de Pau). Its lift, billiard rooms and "last-come" comfort made it a model of spas, alongside the nearby Casino Club. Today, its protected façade and its cariatids recall this fascinating era, while its interior courtyard, without sculptures, preserves statues on the corner stairs.

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