1890 : Paris-Plage was 8 years old, and it had 86 permanent inhabitants and 91 chalets. The architect Pouthier built the "Graziella" villa for the Brunel family. It was situated on the Grand Rue (now the rue Jean Monnet) which, at the time, was the outer limit of Le Touquet before the dunes. The extension of the villa then the addition of the rear wing formed the BRISTOL Hotel, opened in 1927 and built by the architects Chevalier and Picard. Le Touquet Paris-Plage then boasted a considerable number of hotels with a capacity of around 11,000 rooms, which were open during the season from April to September.
Unfortunately, the Second World War interrupted the success of Le Touquet, which rose from 6th place among French summer resorts in
1924 to first place at the end of the 20s, and many hotels were damaged or destroyed.
The BRISTOL Hotel opened its doors again on 1st July
1948 and became one of the first hotels to agree to stay open during the autumn and winter seasons in the middle of the 1960s, so that Le Touquet became the "4 Seasons Resort".
The BRISTOL was then restored and renovated, first in
1985 (addition of the 4th residential floor) then in
1997, and now has 52 rooms clustered round its Patio ; it is open all year round and is delighted to welcome you today.
Le Touquet Paris-Plage, through History …
The brainchild of M. de Villemessant, Director of "Le Figaro" newspaper, the seaside resort of Paris-Plage was created in 1882 by M. Daloz, who owned 1,600 hectares in the locality known as Le Touquet.
The immense beaches and a superb, newly-planted forest inspired the English investors Whitley and Stoneham who - helped by personalities such as Pierre de Coubertain, Charles Granier, Pasteur… - wanted to make it the most sporting and the most select holiday resort.
A large number of very prestigious sports facilities (including the golf course, opened by Lord Balfour, English Prime Minister, in 1904) were therefore installed to add to the attraction of the casinos.
Patrice Deparpe
Le Touquet Museum Manager