Hôtel Negresco
Hôtel Negresco is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Nice audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Nice Nice guide
About Hôtel Negresco
The pink-domed Belle Époque palace hotel on the Promenade, all Riviera glamour, with a 16,000-crystal Baccarat chandelier said to have been made for the Tsar, and an owner who filled it with art.
The Hôtel Negresco is a Belle Époque palace hotel on the Promenade des Anglais, opened in 1913 and famous for its rose-pink cupola. It was the dream of Henri Negresco (born Alexandru Negrescu), a Romanian-born hotelier, and was designed by the architect Édouard-Jean Niermans. Its centrepiece is the Salon Royal, beneath a monumental listed glass dome, holding a colossal Baccarat crystal chandelier of some 16,000 pieces said to have been commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II. Ruined when the hotel was requisitioned as a WWI hospital, Negresco died poor in 1920. Bought by the Augier family in 1957, it became a living museum-hotel, hung with a private art collection from old masters to Niki de Saint Phalle. Contrary to a popular story, its dome was not designed by Gustave Eiffel. A historic monument since 2003, it stands on the seafront of Nice.
Did you know? You will often be told the Negresco's great glass dome was designed by Gustave Eiffel, but it is not true: Eiffel never worked on the hotel, and the dome was the work of its own architect, Édouard-Jean Niermans.
How long should you spend at Hôtel Negresco?
Plan about ~20 min at Hôtel Negresco. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Hôtel Negresco worth visiting?
Hôtel Negresco is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Nice, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Nice
Hear the story of Hôtel Negresco
Preview the Nice tour free in the Gingerguide app.