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The renovation of Le Westminster

On the 1st of December 2019, the legendary Hôtel Le Westminster will close its doors for 6 months of ambitious renovation work. Located in the heart of Le Touquet, the seaside resort nicknamed “the Pearl of the Opal Coast”, this roaring twenties jewel purchased by Groupe Barrière in 2016 is about to be given a total makeover by interior designer Bruno Borrione, who will be making a point of preserving the Art Deco spirit of this mythical place.

The 115 rooms, bar and two restaurants of Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster, including Le Pavillon with its Michelin star, are to be completely redesigned and updated by interior designer Bruno Borrione, the man behind the decor at Barrière’s first Gaming Club on the world’s most beautiful avenue, right opposite Le Fouquet’s. The Hôtel re-opens again in June 2020 and will be upgraded to 5 stars, making Le Westminster the only 5-star establishment on the coast.

A place steeped in history

Opened in 1924, the former Palace on Avenue du Verger is the work of architect Auguste Bluysen. The hotel takes its name from the Duchess of Westminster, patron of the military hospital that took up residence in the casino lounges during the First World War. Extended between the wars by architect Raoul Jourde, the hotel went from 100 rooms to 250 in 1926. Turned into a hospital in 1940, and then an encampment, it was occupied by two German Army regiments and then a school for training Navy officers from 1943. Finally re-opening as a hotel in 1946, Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster has served a sophisticated clientele ever since, as can be seen by the pictures in the hallways and the messages written in the guest book, recording visits by the Aga Khan and Gloria Swanson, King Farouk, Barbara Hutton, Martine Carol, Jeanne Moreau, and Edith Piaf, who said it was the “Magnifique Westminster”.

A vast programme of renovation for the Groupe

The renovation of Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster is part of a major programme of Barrière Hotel and Casino renovations that started in 2014. All of the Group’s flagship establishments (Hotels and Casinos) are being restored, added to and updated one by one. (Le Royal and L’Hermitage La Baule, Le Fouquet’s Paris, L’Hôtel du Golf and Le Normandy Deauville, Barrière Casinos in Menton, Niederbronn, Biarritz, Cap d’Agde and Royan, as well as the legendary Grand Hôtel in Dinard).

About Barrière

The Barrière brand sells two separate groups of hotels, casinos and restaurants: Groupe Lucien Barrière (GLB) and Société Fermière du Casino Municipal de Cannes (SFCMC).

Founded in 1912 by François André and subsequently developed and managed by Lucien Barrière, Diane Barrière-Desseigne and Dominique Desseigne, the Barrière group has gone through many eras to become market leader in French casinos, a benchmark in the luxury hotel industry and a global player in the world of leisure and entertainment. The Group has developed an unrivalled offering in the top of the range leisure market, founded with the view to providing operational excellence, a quality of service that is second to none and French art de vivre. Today it owns 33 Casinos, 1 Gaming Club, 18 Hotels* (mainly 5 stars) and more than 140 bars and restaurants, one of which is the renowned Fouquet’s in Paris (with subsidiaries in 9 other destinations*) and organises around 3,500 shows and events every year. Its turnover was 1.2 billion euros at the end of its financial year on 31st October 2018, and the Group now comprises 7,000 staff members.

The Group is also well known in the food and beverage industry, serving some 2 million meals, in the leisure industry with 15 spas, 1 thalassotherapy centre in La Baule, 1 balneotherapy centre in Ribeauvillé, 3 golf courses and 2 tennis clubs, and is increasingly making a name for itself through its world renown Resorts located in many popular tourist destinations.

*including Le Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi, which is due to open early 2020

Press contact
Emmanuelle Galizzi
Directrice des Relations Presse Groupe
Groupe Barrière
(+33) 01 42 86 39 87