Most of the buildings that now house modern luxury hotels have a rich, fascinating history. They passed into the hands of new owners, were painstakingly restored and underwent changes, trying to preserve their original appearance. Many of the hotels remained forever captured in the masterpieces of world cinema. Let&#39;s tell you more about how it all began.

This summer, the Cheval Blanc Paris hotel will celebrate its third year of opening. However, the building itself has a rich history dating back to the past.
In 1870, entrepreneur Ernest Cognac opened a small store, La Samaritaine , next door to a caf&eacute; on rue de la Monaie. Until 1933, the store was constantly expanding, new buildings were built and purchased. The building in which the hotel opened 90 years later, with terraces and the best views of Paris, was built from 1922 to 1928 and designed by the famous French <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/people-of-ibiza/rolf-blakstad-ibiza-architect-portrait" target="_blank" rel="noopener">architect</a> Henri Sauvage in the <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/roberto-cavalli-fashion-show-spring-summer-2023-collection-photo-look" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Art Deco</a> style. Subsequently, it was included in the list of historical monuments.
In 2005, the La Samaritaine department store was closed for restoration, led by architect Edouard Francois, a renowned advocate of sustainable architecture. In 2021, after work carried out by the LVMH group together with the architects Edouard Fran&ccedil;ois and Peter Marino, the building took on a new life and became the first city hotel of the Cheval Blanc chain.
Today Cheval Blanc Paris is a unique combination of style, luxury and historical value. This hotel has become the pearl of Paris and continues to attract the attention and admiration of travellers from all over the world.

Villa Passalacqua in Moltrasio is one of the largest residences on Lake Como. It was built by the Odescalchi family in the second half of the 18th century on the ruins of an ancient monastery of the Umiliati order.
In 1787, Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua bought the villa and entrusted the project of its expansion to the architect Felice Soave, and the design of the rooms to the artist Giocondo Albertolli. The frescoes on the ceilings were the work of the school of Andrea Appiani, one of the most famous Italian neoclassicists. After the death of Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua, the villa passed to his heir Giambattista.
<a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/what-books-to-pack-music-fans-should-they-pack-on-holiday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Music</a> has always been a main character at Villa Passalacqua : from 1829 to 1833, the famous Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini lived here and wrote his most important operas, La Sonnambula and Norma. In 1970, the villa was restored by the new owner, writer Oscar Kiss Mart. He fell in love with her to such an extent that he spent most of his fortune on the purchase.
The Passalacqua estate is a very recent project of one of the most famous hotelier families in Italy - Paolo, Antonella and Valentina De Santis. Under their leadership, the villa opened its doors as a hotel in June 2022.

Hôtel Barrière Fouquet&#39;s Paris, Paris, France

Brasserie Fouquet&rsquo;s is the same symbol of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/travel/the-best-coffee-shops-in-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris</a> as the Eiffel Tower or the Vend&ocirc;me Column, the Grand Opera or the Moulin Rouge. Anyone who has ever walked along the Champs Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe remembers those red shed roofs with the gold Fouquet's inscription. The restaurant owes its fame primarily to cinematic bohemia, writers and politicians. Charlie Chaplin and Jean Gabin, Joyce and Simenon, Churchill and Roosevelt came here - you can&rsquo;t count them all. The memory of the famous guests is alive to this day; the walls of the brasserie are hung with photographs of the idols of the past. Fouquet&rsquo;s , as before, is a cult establishment among actors; it is not for nothing that the national French Cesar film award is traditionally celebrated here.
In the early 2000s, the legendary restaurant became part of the luxury hotel H&ocirc;tel Barri&egrave;re Fouquet's Paris . By the will of the architect Edouard Francois, five different buildings on the corner of the Champs Elysees and Avenue George V were united into a single ensemble in the spirit of the &ldquo;Haussman style&rdquo; typical of Paris during the Napoleon III era.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy

The hotel's origins date back to the early 1900s, an era of romantic grand tours and long-distance travel. Even then, Lake Como was a mandatory stop on the international tourist route and a favorite vacation spot for the elite.
Enea Gandola, a gentleman from Bellagio, had traveled extensively in <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/ibiza/7-reasons-ibiza-is-the-hottest-spot-for-wellbeing-in-europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europe</a> with his wife Maria Orsolini and wanted to create a sophisticated hotel that could satisfy the needs of a new type of tourist. He chose a location bordering the gardens of Villa Carlotta, which had the best view of Lake Como. So, on July 10, 1910, the opening of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo took place.
In the 30s, the hotel was bought by the Sampietro family, and it was during this period that the hotel became a point of attraction for tourists from all over the world. In the film Grand Hotel (1932), Greta Garbo calls the Grand Hotel Tremezzo "that happy sunny place." During the terrible years of the Second World War, the hotel never closed its doors, and after its end it was ready to welcome new guests with its usual grace.
Today, following in the footsteps of the Gandola and Sampietro families, another family, the De Santis, proudly continues the tradition of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo , celebrating a century of charm and genuine Italian hospitality. And Lake Como remains as popular as ever.

Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville, Deauville, France

In 1912, the Anglo-Norman style hotel H&ocirc;tel Barri&egrave;re Le Normandy Deauville appeared in Deauville, marking the beginning of the family history of the Barri&egrave;re group. It is easily recognizable by its original Colombage style architecture: a painted facade, a roof with pointed turrets, stucco decorations, wooden beams and shutters. The shutters and clock above the entrance make it look like a fairytale palace.
The hotel literally immediately became a sensation not only in France, but throughout the world: H&ocirc;tel Barri&egrave;re Le Normandy Deauville was written about as the most beautiful resort hotel in the world. It immediately became the place where the most important city events took place and famous guests from all over the world stayed: from Winston Churchill to Francoise Sagan.
It was here that the famous film by Claude Lelouch &ldquo;A Man and a Woman&rdquo; was filmed, which forever glorified the sandy beaches of Deauville and the enchanting tranquility of its well-groomed streets.
In the <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/ballet-flats-shoes-spring-summer-2024-trend-repetto-miu-miu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summer</a> of 1913, a hat boutique called Gabrielle Chanel opened in a hotel building with a separate entrance opposite the casino. In addition to hats, Coco presented a collection of sportswear to the Deauville public.

Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, Cannes, France

In 1924, hotelier Henry Ruhl began building a grand hotel in the Art Deco style, designed by Parisian architect Theo Petit. The opening of the H&ocirc;tel Barri&egrave;re Le Majestic , on 1 February 1926, became a local sensation. Two hundred and fifty en-suite rooms, reception rooms with paintings by Di Signori, one of the most popular artists of the time, a monumental staircase made of Carrara marble and a floor made of red marble brought from the Pyrenees - all this made a stunning impression on the guests.
In 2010, the second wing was opened, and H&ocirc;tel Barri&egrave;re Le Majestic finally received the appearance that the architect had originally intended. Due to symmetry, the hotel has become more harmonious and fits perfectly into the cityscape of Cannes.
The atmosphere of the <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/travel/carlton-cannes-restaurant-ruya-best-restaurants-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cannes</a> Film Festival is felt at the H&ocirc;tel Barri&egrave;re Le Majestic throughout the year thanks to the photo collection, which already numbers more than 2,500 photographs. These images document the 60-year history of the festival, its guests and participants, including such stars as Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Romy Schneider and Catherine Deneuve.

The history of famous hotels in Europe

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