Hotel History

Built in 1870 as two mansions, the Schmitz family - ancestors of the present owners - bought the buildings to turn into a hotel in 1878 and appointed architect Louis Castel to make the necessary renovations. Following the English styles that were current, it was decided that the hotel should be named after the Duke of Westminster, who duly granted his permission and blessing to the venture. Success followed swiftly and the Hotel Westminster was enlarged in 1904, when the 200 square metre 'Salon President', the 'Salon Belle Epoque' with its gold leaves, and the magnificent 'Hall aux Fresques' with its painted ceiling were all added.

In the 1950s the management of the hotel had passed down to Dr Jean-Paul Grinda, the son of Mrs Schmitz and a well-known character of Nice who had owned the local newspaper 'L'eclaireur de Nice' and was a prominent surgeon. Dr Grinda put his own stamp on the hotel by transforming the old restaurant halls into lecture rooms and adding two new restaurants and a colonial style bar. A collection of paintings of Nice landscapes by the master Bensa, decorated the new rooms and a Florentine artist was commissioned to give the Grand Hall and the frescoes the perfect hues and tints for the era and atmosphere.