Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hay Hotel, also known as the White Hotel, is a private hotel built in the early eighteenth century in Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine. This monument illustrates the influence of shipowners and traders in the port city, marked by its private and commercial activity. The building, entirely made of granite of large apparatus, is distinguished by its ground floor with arcades, its three floors with high windows, and its skylights. It once served as a monumental entrance to the city and was one of the childhood memories of the writer François-René de Chateaubriand.

The hotel was erected in 1711 by Guillaume White, an Irish shipowner, before being occupied by Nicolas White de Boisglé. Its architecture reflects the prosperity of the Malouin traders of the time, mixing classical rigor and symbols of wealth. The building has been partially protected as historical monuments since 1942, with an inscription covering its facades, roofs, skylights and chimney stumps. Engineer Garengeau is mentioned as a possible contractor, although his exact role remains to be specified.

Located in Guy-La-Chambre Square (formerly Chateaubriand Square), the Hay Hotel embodies the maritime and architectural heritage of Saint-Malo. Its history is closely linked to the golden age of privateers and shipowners, who made the city a major economic crossroads between France and the Atlantic. Today, there remains a tangible testimony of this time, although its access to the public or current uses are not detailed in the available sources.

External links