Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel Bellevue was built between 1891 and 1894 in an architectural style inspired by Swiss chalets, on the initiative of a Parisian industrialist. He joined the Hameau Bellevue, an ensemble created from 1885 with the collaboration of architect Georges-François Michel. The hotel was designed to accommodate travellers and initially had ten rooms per floor, complemented by common areas (dining room, living rooms, billiard room, smoking room). Its layout reflected the luxury and comfort sought by an easy clientele at the end of the 19th century.

Around 1910, the hotel was enlarged by an anonymous architect, with the addition of a one-storey building adjacent to the west façade. This extension housed a new dining room, accessible by a staircase tower with a dome. The exterior and interior walls of this annex, as well as the tower, were decorated with flammated sandstone provided by ceramicist Alexandre Bigot, while the windows were decorated with white cives. These decorative elements, still visible, bear witness to the attention paid to aesthetics and noble materials.

The dining room pavilion, which has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1995, is the protected element of the site. Today, the hotel belongs to an association and its current use (visits, rentals, guest rooms) is not specified in the available sources. Its architecture and history reflect the enthusiasm of the era for spas and resorts, Salies-de-Béarn being a popular destination for its salt waters.

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