Hôtel des Ambassadeurs, Listed historical monument near the opera in Vichy, France.
Hôtel des Ambassadeurs is a multi-storey corner building at 1 rue du Parc and place Joseph-Aletti, facing the opera. Its facade alternates cream and terracotta-red horizontal bands, divided by cream pilasters and cornices, with rows of arched and rectangular windows and wrought-iron balconies. A dark grey roof with dormer windows tops it; the ground floor keeps a patio and decorated rooms.
Built in 1858, the hotel was enlarged and restructured from 1866 and appeared in the first tourist guides of the period. In 1890 it was among the first to have an elevator and telephone, and in 1897 its rooms were heated. During World War I it became a military hospital; in 1940 it housed the diplomatic corps, with eight ambassadors and 24 envoys present in Vichy. It closed in 1989 and was converted into private apartments in 1998.
The stained glass windows by Francis Chigot in the ground floor rooms display fine craftsmanship and color the interior spaces distinctly. These decorative elements, protected along with the painted wall ornaments, form part of the building's artistic character.
The building has been closed to the public since 1989 and was converted into private apartments in 1998. The exterior architecture is visible, but access to the interior is not available.
In 1890 this establishment was among the first hotels in France to have an elevator and telephone system. The hall could accommodate around 500 people, reflecting the advanced standards of that era.
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