Treasure Of Nice's Architechture

The "chemin des Anglais" in 1865

In 1870, la "promenade des Anglais" was still a shadowy road that curved along the Bay Of Angels.

In 1878 the Schmitz family, ancestors of the current owners, bought two villas to built an hotel. The family entrusted the realization of the project to the architect Louis Castel. The Schmitz family following the "English" style that was abundant in Nice, obtained from the Duke of Westminster the permission to call the new hotel, "Hôtel Westminster".

After the rapid success it obtained, the hotel was enlarged in 1904. It is at this time that was added the back of the building that houses:
The "Hall aux fresques" with an extraordinarily painted ceiling by an Italian artist from Florence,
the "Salon Président" of 200 m². This was where the restaurant served the menus "table d'hôte",
the "Salon Belle Epoque", a great example of architecture and decoration of the beginning of the last century, decorated with gold leaves, and above it a number of rooms overseeing the Masséna Gardens.

It is at this period that the managing of the hotel was entrusted to the Rebettez family, Swiss hotel owners, who took care of the Westminster Hotel until 1950. At their departure Mrs. Schmitz, administered the hotel and later passed the management down into the hands of Dr. Jean-Paul Grinda, her son.

Dr Grinda was one of the most famous figures of the city of Nice, surgeon in chief of the hospitals, former owner of the newspaper "L'éclaireur de Nice", associate member of the surgery academy. He dedicated part of his personal wealth to the modernization and the restoration of the hotel Westminster that had been used and damaged during the occupation of the Second World War by the invading forces.

In 1961, after having consulted with a team of professionals, he decided to keep the traditional features of the facade and the warm atmosphere of its origin at the beginning of the last century, to make it an hotel worthy of this world's palaces.
The old restaurant halls were transformed without modifying their style into lecture rooms and congress halls. Two restaurants were built as well as a bar of English colonial style that was inaugurated in the west wing of the hotel, the huge kitchens in the basement were destroyed to make room for a night club.
He endeavored to renovate this huge artistic and architectural asset by inviting an artist from Florence to spark the colors of the frescos in the "Grand Hall", using an ancient technique (with milk and bread's whites).
He had the frescos in the halls and metal ornaments in the stairs re-painted in gold.
Lastly, he added the final touch by acquiring a collection of paintings by the Master Bensa, which depict different views of Nice before 1860.

The Westminster Hotel and almost museum, has become one of the most representative hotels of traditional culture on the French Riviera, as much from an architectural point of view as from the interior decoration point of view.

Nowadays, a new generation of this big family has undertaken the tasks of modernization.