Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
hotelier
A hotel manager, hotelier, or lodging manager is a person who manages the operation of a hotel, motel, resort, or other lodging-related establishment. Management of a hotel operation includes, but is not limited to: management of hotel staff, b ...
and founder of the
Hotel Negresco
The Hotel Negresco is a luxury hotel and site of the restaurant ''Le Chantecler'', located on the Promenade des Anglais on the Baie des Anges in Nice, France. It was named after Henri Negresco (1868–1920), who had the palatial hotel construct ...
in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million He died bankrupt after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, his hotel having been commandeered into a hospital during the war. During the 14 July 2016 attack on the
field hospital
A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile ...
used to aid victims.
Early years and education
Alexandru Negrescu was born 14 March 1870, in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, Romania, to a half Jewish father, Jean Negrescu (born 1837), an
innkeeper
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...
, and Maria Rădescu (born 1839). The family had lived in Mihăileni,
Botoșani County
Botoșani County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia (encompassing a few villages in neighbouring Suceava County from Bukovina to the west as well), with the county seat at Botoșani.
Demographics
As of 1st of December 20 ...
prior to Alexandru's birth. He apprenticed with the confectioners
Casa Capșa
Casa Capșa is a historic restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, first established in 1852. At various times it has also included a hotel; most recently, it reopened as a 61-room hotel 17 June 2003.
"...long a symbol of Bucharest for its inhabitants ...
, in Bucharest, and Casa Boissier in Paris, settling in Paris by 1895, though he may have traveled there before that date as well.
Career
Negrescu was known to have lived at No. 14 Rue des Saussaies, Paris, for many years. His first job in Paris was at a restaurant in the same building, owned by Rodolphe Schipper. He married Suzanne Bianca Rădescu (born November 15, 1874, Bucharest) on 6 July 1907. They were known to have lived in
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, working as a butler and then directing operations at Helder restaurant. He was also known to have worked at Londres, a restaurant-hotel, and it was here that he showed his talent to care for and retain elite customers, including billionaires, kings and princes, such as the Vanderbilt and Rockefeller families,
Basil Zaharoff
Sir Basil Zaharoff (born Zacharias Basileios Zacharoff; 6 October 1849 – 27 November 1936) was a Greek arms dealer and industrialist. One of the richest men in the world during his lifetime, Zaharoff was described as both a "merchant of death" ...
, and
Isaac Singer
Isaac Merritt Singer (October 27, 1811 – July 23, 1875) was an American inventor, actor, and businessman. He made important improvements in the design of the sewing machine and was the founder of what became one of the first American multi-na ...
. After Charles Lefranc, a merchant of Nice, recommended Henri Negresco to Edouard Baudoin, the new concessionaire of the Nice Municipal Casino (1979 demolition), Negresco accepted a casino restaurant management position at a salary of 20,000 francs per year, eventually becoming Director of the Nice Municipal Casino, and friends, in 1904, with the architect Édouard Niermans. In this same period, Negresco bought the restaurant/casino
Enghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departements of France, department of Val-d'Oise, France. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris.
Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a s ...
, where he worked summers, alternating with the restaurant in Nice during the period of November through March.
Through his relationship with
Alexandre Darracq
Alexandre Darracq (10 November 1855 – 1931) was a French investor, engineer, cycle manufacturer and automobile manufacturer. By 1904, Darracq was producing more than ten percent of all automobiles in France and he sold a substantial part of h ...
, to build a large hotel in Nice, with at least 400 rooms, for 1.2 million francs. After visiting hotels in Paris, London, Berlin, and Brussels, design plans were completed in May 1911, and construction began in September of that year. Negresco and Darracq established a company, Negresco & Cie, to operate the hotel with a registered capital of 1.11 million francs, which opened 4 January 1913.
The Hotel Negresco, nicknamed "Le Palais de ''
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque () or La Belle Époque () was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Fr ...
''", was built by Niermans, the Dutch ''Belle Époque'' architect, in a style characteristic of 1872, on the
, facing the Baie des Anges. But in 1914, he was mobilized for
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the hotel was commandeered into "Temporary hospital no. 15". At the end of the war, the clientele did not return. Bankrupt, he died of
liver cancer
Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...
, in 1920, and was buried at Batignolles Cemetery. In later years, his hotel was classified as a National Historic Monument (1974) and National Historic Building (2003) by the French state; the current owner is Jeanne Augier.