Description
As early as 1890, crowned heads and celebrities jostled at the Grand Hotel du Cap. Luxurious and comfortable, it meets in every way the demands of this upscale clientele that frequents it from December to March. Today it is a condominium.
Unreachable site.
The Grand Hôtel du Cap-Martin is a former luxury hotel located in the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France.
On March 29, 1889, George Calvin White, creator of Black and White whiskey, purchased the Cap-Martin property for 575,000 gold francs. Until then, it had been a hunting estate that had changed hands several times in previous years. The terrain is very rugged. But in 1896, a coastal road provided easy access to the Menton train station.
An English corporation, Cap Martin Hotel Limited, purchased 13 hectares and commissioned the Danish architect Hans-Georg Tersling—who had already designed several luxury hotels and villas on the French Riviera—to build the Grand Hôtel du Cap. Construction began in 1890 at the tip of the cape. The first phase was completed in 1891. Two wings were added later. The west wing, the longest, housed the luxury suites for distinguished guests: Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, his wife Elisabeth of Austria (known as Sissi), and the former Empress Eugénie.
In 1904, the hotel offered between 250 and 300 rooms from mid-November through the end of April. Guests could reach the Menton train station by horse-drawn carriage at first, and later by automobile. A tram line was even built.
