Initial construction 1853 (≈ 1853)
Built by architect Pelligrini for the Royal Hotel company.
1858-1870
Name changes
Name changes 1858-1870 (≈ 1864)
Hotel Royal (1858) → Imperial (1860) → Grand Hotel (1870).
1877-1879
Construction of Ambassadors
Construction of Ambassadors 1877-1879 (≈ 1878)
Annex erected at the back of the building.
1898-1902
Two-storey elevation
Two-storey elevation 1898-1902 (≈ 1900)
Work conducted by Faga and Pierron.
1952
4 star peak and classification
4 star peak and classification 1952 (≈ 1952)
200 beds before sale in 1953.
24 avril 1986
Partial registration for Historic Monuments
Partial registration for Historic Monuments 24 avril 1986 (≈ 1986)
Protection of the porch, lobby and smoking room.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The entrance porch with its decorative elements, the lobby and its window, the smoking room on the ground floor (cad. CD 187): inscription by decree of 24 April 1986
Key figures
Charles-Bernard Pelligrini - Architect
Initial designer of the Grand Hotel (1853).
Laurent Faga - Architect
Building elevation (1898-1902).
Eugène Pierron - Architect
Collaborator of Faga for the works.
Origin and history
The Grand Hôtel d'Aix-les-Bains, located in the Savoyard municipality of the same name, was built in the 1850s by architect Charles-Bernard Pelligrini for the Hôtel Royal de Savoie company. Originally named Hotel Royal (1858), he became Hotel Imperial in 1860 and then Grand Hotel Aix in 1870. The building, representative of 19th century thermal hotel architecture, was enlarged between 1898 and 1902 by architects Laurent Faga and Eugène Pierron, who added two floors.
In 1877-1879, an annex named The Ambassadors was erected at the back of the building. The hotel reached its peak in 1952 with 200 beds and a 4-star rating, before being sold as a condominium in 1953. Today, it houses housing and medical offices. Only the entrance porch, the lobby with its window and a smoking room have been protected as historical monuments since 24 April 1986.
This monument illustrates the golden age of thermalism in Aix-les-Bains, a resort popular with the European aristocracy in the 19th century. Its eclectic architecture, combining classical influences and modernity, reflects the tourist ambitions of Savoy, then integrated into France since 1860. The transformation into a condominium in the 20th century marked the decline of the large traditional spa hotels, replaced by more modern structures.
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