Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic Rouen hôtel particulier converted into a luxury hotel.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde is a historic property in the centre of Rouen, Normandy, France. The building began as a prestigious urban residence for Guillaume II Le Roux, lord of Bourgtheroulde and a member of the Exchequer of Normandy. Construction appears to have begun around 1501, during the transition from late Flamboyant Gothic architecture to the French Renaissance. Guillaume II died in 1520, and his son Guillaume III continued the project, including the celebrated Aumale Gallery in the interior courtyard. The resulting complex combined a noble residence, service buildings, stables and carriage facilities around a courtyard, and became one of Rouen's most important examples of early Renaissance domestic architecture. The property is especially noted for the Aumale Gallery, a Renaissance loggia decorated with carved limestone reliefs. Its lower panels represent the meeting of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, while upper panels draw on Petrarch's allegorical Triumphs. These subjects indicate that the gallery was created after the 1520 diplomatic meeting and reflect the cultural and political ambitions of the Le Roux family. The building's Louis XII-style west wing retains a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance features, including mullioned windows, pinnacles, basket-handle arches and early Renaissance ornamental motifs. The hôtel remained associated with the Le Roux family until the late seventeenth century and hosted distinguished visitors, including Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici in 1596. Its history subsequently became more commercial and institutional. A major fire in 1770 destroyed the north wing, which was rebuilt. The complex survived the French Revolution and was adapted for banking use; in 1848 it became the headquarters of the Comptoir d'Escompte. It later served as the headquarters of Crédit industriel de Normandie, a regional bank within the CIC group, until the end of 2006. War and urban change altered the building substantially. The polygonal watchtower at the main façade's left corner was demolished in 1824 after a partial collapse associated with street-lamp installation and contemporary urban improvements. The north wing was rebuilt after the eighteenth-century fire, and several façades and interiors were modified during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. During the Second World War, the property was damaged on 19 April 1944 and again on 26 August 1944, shortly before Rouen's liberation. Much of the interior decoration was lost, and the south tower had to be reconstructed without its original sculptural ornament. A large restoration and adaptive-reuse project undertaken by the Société lilloise d'investissement hôtelier transformed the former bank headquarters into a luxury hotel. The property reopened in April 2010 as a five-star hotel associated with Marriott International. The restoration rebuilt the damaged south tower and restored the historic roofline, although much of the lost sculpture could not be recreated. The hotel therefore operates both as an accommodation business and as a preserved monument whose surviving façades, courtyard architecture and Aumale Gallery connect contemporary hospitality with Rouen's late-medieval and Renaissance history.
History
Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde is a former hôtel particulier at 15 place de la Pucelle in Rouen's historic centre. Its origins lie in the ambitions of Guillaume II Le Roux, lord of Bourgtheroulde and a member of the Exchequer of Normandy. Around 1501 he began constructing a stone residence appropriate to his social position. The architectural language was Louis XII style, a transitional idiom combining late Gothic forms with emerging French Renaissance ornament. After Guillaume II's death in 1520, his son Guillaume III continued and expanded the work. Guillaume III is associated with the Aumale Gallery, a courtyard loggia that forms the complex's most distinctive artistic feature. The gallery's carved limestone panels depict the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting between Francis I and Henry VIII, together with scenes inspired by Petrarch's Triumphs. The gallery consequently belongs to the early sixteenth-century cultural context and demonstrates the family's interest in courtly imagery, diplomacy and Renaissance visual culture. The west wing preserves characteristic Louis XII elements, including wide mullioned windows, Gothic arches and pinnacles combined with Renaissance foliage and other new ornamental motifs. In 1532 the property passed to Claude Le Roux, Guillaume III's brother. It remained in the Le Roux family until the end of the seventeenth century and was sufficiently prominent to receive eminent visitors, including Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici in 1596. The complex changed substantially over subsequent centuries. A fire in 1770 destroyed the north wing, which was rebuilt, while other parts were adapted to changing urban and commercial requirements. The building survived the French Revolution and in 1848 became the headquarters of the Comptoir d'Escompte. It later housed Crédit industriel de Normandie, a regional bank belonging to the CIC group. The architecture also suffered from accidents, redevelopment and war. A polygonal watchtower at the left corner of the main elevation partially collapsed in 1824 during work connected with a street lamp; the remaining structure was demolished. Another small corbelled tower near the northern entrance had fallen into ruin and disappeared before 1682. The north wing was reconstructed after the 1770 fire and subsequently received later architectural alterations. In the nineteenth century, Jean-Baptiste Foucher reconstructed portions of the entrance decoration, although that restoration was not based on surviving archaeological evidence. The Second World War caused further losses. The building was damaged on 19 April 1944 and its interior decoration was heavily damaged by bombing on 26 August, shortly before Rouen's liberation. The south tower was rebuilt after the war, but its sculptural decoration could not be restored. The property's façades and roofs had already received monument historique protection on 11 January 1924, helping preserve its principal architectural character despite the losses. Crédit industriel de Normandie occupied the building until the end of 2006. A complete adaptive-reuse project by the Société lilloise d'investissement hôtelier subsequently converted the former banking premises into a luxury hotel. The restored property reopened in April 2010 as a five-star hotel in the Marriott International group. The project reconstructed the south tower and recreated the historic roofline while accepting that much of the original sculptural decoration had disappeared. Today, Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde represents a layered monument: a noble residence of the early Renaissance, a repeatedly altered urban building, a wartime survivor and a contemporary hospitality venue.
- 2010
Luxury hotel opening
[1]After complete restructuring and restoration, the property reopened in April as a five-star Marriott-associated hotel.
- 2006
Banking occupation ends
[1]Crédit industriel de Normandie ceased occupying the property at the end of the year.
- 1944
Wartime damage
[1]Bombing during the liberation period damaged the building and destroyed much of its interior decoration.
- 1924
Historic-monument protection
[1]The façades and roofs were protected as monuments historiques on 11 January.
- 1848
Conversion to banking headquarters
[1]The building became the headquarters of the Comptoir d'Escompte.
- 1770
North wing destroyed by fire
[1]A major fire destroyed the north wing, which was subsequently rebuilt.
- 1596
Reception of Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici
[1]The residence hosted Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici, illustrating its standing among Rouen's elite properties.
- 1532
Inheritance passes to Claude Le Roux
[1]The property was inherited by Claude Le Roux, Guillaume III's brother.
- 1520
Guillaume III continues the project
[1]After Guillaume II's death, his son Guillaume III continued the work and created the Aumale Gallery, including Renaissance reliefs linked to the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
- 1501
Construction begins
[1]Guillaume II Le Roux appears to have begun building the stone residence around 1501 in the Louis XII transitional style.
Products and positioning
A heritage luxury hotel combining five-star hospitality with a landmark early-Renaissance setting in Rouen's historic centre.
Hotel rooms and suites · 2010
Luxury guest accommodation
The hotel's principal offering is five-star accommodation within a restored historic building in central Rouen. The hospitality proposition is defined by the combination of contemporary guest facilities and architectural surroundings dating largely from the sixteenth century.
Hotel dining · 2010
Food and beverage services
Food and beverage service forms part of the hotel's luxury hospitality offer. Specific restaurant, bar and menu details are not established in the supplied reference material.
Meetings and events · 2010
Historic venue and events
The restored hôtel particulier provides a heritage setting for hotel functions and events. Its courtyard architecture and Aumale Gallery are central to the property's cultural identity, although the available material does not specify individual event packages.
Brand decisions
2010
Opening as a five-star hotelProduct launchBackground
The historic residence had been extensively altered by fire, war damage and successive institutional uses, but its principal architectural elements remained suitable for heritage-led hospitality.
Action taken
Following restoration and reconstruction, the property reopened in April as a five-star hotel associated with Marriott International.
Aftermath
Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde entered the contemporary luxury-hotel market while retaining its role as a major historic monument in Rouen.
2006
Adaptive reuse of the former bank headquartersStrategyBackground
After Crédit industriel de Normandie vacated the property, the historic building required a new long-term use compatible with its protected architectural character.
Action taken
The Société lilloise d'investissement hôtelier undertook a complete restructuring to convert the former institutional building into a luxury hotel.
Aftermath
The project culminated in the property's reopening as a five-star hotel in April 2010 within the Marriott International group.
Recent events
- 2010
Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde reopens as a five-star hotel[1]
Product launch
Following a complete restructuring of the former Crédit industriel de Normandie headquarters, the historic building reopened in April as a luxury hotel associated with Marriott International.
- 1944
The building is damaged during the Second World War[1]
Other
The property sustained wartime damage in April and August 1944. Bombing destroyed much of its interior decoration and led to later reconstruction of the south tower.
- 1924
Historic façades and roofs receive monument protection[1]
Regulation
The façades and roofs of Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde were designated as protected historic monuments on 11 January 1924.
Sources1 sources
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