An original formula that will remain so even when Madame Augier, 87 years old but with a presence and activity that would make young forty-somethings envious, eventually passes the torch. Indeed, the company managing the Negresco will then belong to a non-profit foundation, and the Negresco name will remain associated with the hotel to which it owes its worldwide fame, with the same mission: to welcome an international clientele.
An atypical path compared to the trends in the business world. But for Madame Augier, who became owner with her husband Paul in 1957, the hotel founded by Henry Negresco and inaugurated on January 4th, 1913, is, and will always be, a matter of the heart!
This is why, on the eve of its Centenary, which will be celebrated in three years, the hotel underwent, for six months, a profound facelift under the direction and supervision of the Historical Monuments architects, to preserve its unique features that led to its classification as a Historical Monument in 2003. A renovation that will cost its owner and local authorities some 14 million euros but, as Madame Augier simply puts it: “The world changes, tastes evolve, and the hotel must live with its time.”
This is why, in addition to the facade renovation (white as we have known it for decades despite its original brown stone) and the restoration of the Royal Lounge’s glass roof (a marvel!), there was also a more commercial intervention with the creation of a VIP floor and the implementation of technology with home automation on all floors.
Since yesterday, the lights of the sign bearing the name Negresco are once again displayed on the facade of what Madame Augier continues to call “A beautiful home.” The tricolor flag atop the dome still flutters in the wind because there are symbols that remain emblematic. And wouldn’t this bay be much less angelic without “its” Negresco?
