Le Grand Hôtel, Paris

Le Grand Hôtel, Paris

Hotels were key spaces of internationalism. By virtue of their size, location and facilities they offered ideal spaces to host international conferences and events. This is true of not only the hospitality infrastructures they offered (rooms, board, meeting spaces), but also the prestige and significance they often bestowed. This was the case with Paris’s historic Le Grand Hôtel opposite the city’s famous Opera House. Opened in 1862 as part of the complete reconstruction of Paris under Baron Haussmann, the hotel has an illustrious past including hosting royalty and numerous international events. Pictured here is the first Pan-African Congress which was hosted at the hotel in 1919. At a time when many of Paris’s grandest hotels had been seconded for delegations attending the Paris Peace Conferences, Le Grand offered an important space for delegates to lend a critical voice to the deliberations underway concerning the post-war role of African colonies.

The Crisis, Vol. 18, No. 1, May 1919, p.32 / Vieilles Annonces