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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel Royal d'Aix-les-Bains, designed in 1914 by the Geneva architect Alfred Olivet, was built of reinforced concrete for hotelier Louis Rossignoli, son of Antoine-Gaudens Rossignoli, owner of the Splendid and Excelsior hotels. This palace, designed as an extension of the Excelsior Hotel, offered stunning views of the city and Lake Bourget. Its ground floor living room, decorated with pilasters and a window, as well as its dining room decorated with Henri Fehr's canvases, made it an exceptional place.

The construction permit was granted in September 1913, and the work, entrusted to the company Léon Grosse, lasted longer than expected due to the First World War. The opening, originally scheduled for the spring of 1914, took place only in October 1915. The hotel became a resort for personalities, such as the king of Greece Georges I, who stayed there every summer from 1889 to 1912.

In 1967, the Royal Hotel was transformed into a private residence, divided into apartments. Despite its partial classification as historical monuments in 1987, the dining room, with its paintings by Henri Fehr, was destroyed in 1988. Today, the building retains protected elements such as the living room, facades, roofs, and gardens, bearing witness to its fascinating past.

The Royal Hotel has been labeled "Twentieth Century Heritage" since March 2003. Its architecture and history reflect the golden age of thermal palaces, symbols of luxury and social prestige at the beginning of the twentieth century. The elevator cage, the stairwell, and the common areas, as well as the gardens shared with the former Splendid palace, remain remains of this time.

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