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Origin and history

The hotel of England, built between 1875 and 1878 by architect Lucien Cottet for Alfred Meillon, former cook of the court of England, embodies the splendor of 19th-century spas. Located at the corner of Latapi-Flurin Boulevard and the Eggs' Planade in Cauterets, it is distinguished by its plan in three pavilions around a rear courtyard, a white stone facade contrasting with a grey coating, and a rich interior ornamentation mixing Baroque and Art Deco influences. The establishment, intended for an easy clientele, offered 300 rooms (including 100 with bathroom) and a hydraulic elevator, symbols of modernity for the time.

The dining room and vestibule, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1988 (before repeal in 1993) illustrate its luxury: marble staircase, stone guardrails, staff mouldings imitating marble, and Art Deco wrought iron grilles decorated with monograms "H" and "A". The hotel also reflects Haussmannian urbanism through its rigorous alignment, regular facades, and architectural academism, with a circular dome and Second Empire style arcades. Its inauguration on May 1, 1878 marks the beginning of a series of prestigious constructions on this boulevard.

Between 1922 and 1937, the architect Fernand Noutary modernized the building for the Société Anonyme of the Grand Hotel of England and the Grand Hotel (capital of 1.65 million francs): wooden beams replaced by iron beaming, improved elevator and ventilation, and expanded via the nearby villa Lannegrand. The works, partially carried out by the company Darrigrand de Pau, adapt the hotel to the standards of the 20th century. Reconverted into a residential building in the second half of the 20th century, it now bears witness to the age of the thermal age of the Pyrenees.

Alfred Meillon, from an influential Protestant family in Cauterets and owner of the Grand Hotel Gassion in Pau, ordered this hotel to compete with the luxurious establishments of the time. His project is part of the post-1820 thermal architectural boom, where wealthy families from Tarbes or Pau invest in hotels for curists. The Hotel d'Angleterre, first born on the boulevard Latapi-Flurin, becomes the emblem, combining prestige, technical innovation and stylistic eclecticism.

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