|
In 1901, two Belgian friends established a small enterprise
and called it Alimentation Automatique. The name of
their business adequately expressed its particular novelty,
as the owners proved their creativity in the restaurant
by installing the first machines that produced sandwiches.
The enterprise flourished, and the two friends decided
to expand; they established a hotel business on our
present site and called it "Alimentation Automatique
Hotels de Cologne & de Baviere".
A major fact of Belgian history subsequently inspired
them to rename their hotel Hotel des Colonies. King
Leopold II had acquired extensive regions of Central-African
territory bordering the Congo River, and his personal
sovereignty over the region was recognized in 1885.
However, the King decided to make a gift of it to his
own beloved country, and in 1909 the Belgian parliament
voted to annex the Congo Free State, making it a colony
that became known as the Belgian Congo. Although the
Congo regained its independence in 1960, the name Hotel
des Colonies survived all historical turmoil.
The turbulent course of history literally occupied Hotel
des Colonies for the first time during the Great War.
It respectively served as headquarters to the German
militaries (World War I and II) and to the British and
American liberation armies (World War II).
Time after time our hotel seems to have attracted notorious
and notable guests over the past century. The best-known
British military leader, General Field Marshall Bernard
Montgomery, may well have been one of them, since a
1944 Christmas speech "to be read out to all troops"
and signed by Montgomery himself was found in our files.
It may even have been typed on our old Remington!
The Americans for their part found the location of Hotel
des Colonies so pleasant, that they stayed to renovate
it. The lobby, the breakfast room, the old restaurant
and the guest rooms were completely redone from a '1900'
into a 'fifties' style. Today we take pride in accommodating
our guests in advanced facilities while preserving the
setting’s historic charm. Our hotel has been totally
renovated in 2001-2002 and refurbished with all modern
conveniences. You may regret that the casino is no longer
there, but the hotel is still steeped in tradition.
Your breakfast is still being served in a 1900 setting,
and the magnificent 19th century mosaic evokes the atmosphere
of old times in the Grand Hotel's winter garden.
|
