Until 1944, stood on the site of the Malraux Museum a magnificent palace of international renown. The first hotel was named after a pleasure establishment run by the Neapolitan Garchi glacier. The Casino-Hotel Frascati was built in wood and inaugurated in 1839. The army had imposed that it be built in wood because a defense battery (the battery of Provence) was just behind and the land was subject to military servitude . In the event of a battle, this battery had to be able to have the firing range completely free. The first Fracati therefore consisted of a combined hotel and casino. The hotel had 200 rooms, 6 lounges, a large hall for balls and concerts, a billiard room, a reading room, two large dining rooms as well as 6 small rooms. Its facade was painted white. The set consisted of a central pavilion with two wings.

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