Of English origin and naturalized French in 1907, Henry Ruhl settled in Nice, exercised different professions before choosing hotel business. He created small establishments in Cimiez, then he acquired the hotel of the English situated on the Walk, demolished it and replaced it in 1913 by a luxury hotel bearing his name. He soon was at the head of an empire of 78 hotels he built or in which he detains actions. The fleurons of this empire were the Carlton, the Majestic and the Provence in Cannes, the Scribe and the Carlton in Paris, the Grand Condé in Chantilly, the Royal in Dinard. the Ruhl in Nice which was destroyed and replaced by the Meridien in 1970.
Ralph SCHOR
