The subtle restoration will revitalise the hotel and will be carried out with the utmost sensitivity; great care will be taken to retain the charm and quintessentially Parisian character of the hotel.
Having celebrated its first 100 years, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris is looking ahead to the next century. In keeping with Dorchester Collection‘s continuous investment in taking the luxury experience to new levels, the iconic hotel will undergo a partial restoration to integrate additional buildings creating six new guest rooms, eight suites, a ballroom and two event spaces.
Over the past several years, Hotel Plaza Athenee has had the opportunity to purchase three buildings surrounding the hotel. These include a townhouse to the right of the hotel on 29 avenue Montaigne; a townhouse on rue Clement Marot; and the building where Le Relais Plaza is located.
Despite every effort to maintain the hotel’s activity during this period, Francois Delahaye, COO of Dorchester Collection and general manager of Hotel Plaza Athenee, has resolved to close the hotel to preserve the guests’ comfort and convenience whilst the developments take place, commencing on 1 October 2013. In May 2014, Hotel Plaza Athenee guests will rediscover the warm, refined surroundings of the hotel ready to embrace its next century.
The subtle restoration will revitalise the hotel and will be carried out with the utmost sensitivity; great care will be taken to retain the charm and quintessentially Parisian character of the hotel.
The interior decoration of the suites will be led by Marie-Jose Pommereau who previously completed the redesign of other suites including the hotel’s Royal Suite in 2012. Similar to her earlier projects, Pommereau will blend contemporary features with Parisian tradition in harmony with the vibrancy of the hotel and its fashionable location. The Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee restaurant and Le Bar will be redesigned by the Paris-based Jouin-Manku agency, and Bruno Moinard will be responsible for La Galerie des Gobelins, La Cour Jardin and Le Relais Plaza as well as the event rooms.
Francois Delahaye states, “Hotel Plaza Athenee is one of the world’s most legendary properties with a rich heritage and prominent location in the heart of Paris. While it continues to rank as one of the top hotels in the world, the subtle refurbishments will revitalise the hotel and lead it into its next century. Hotel Plaza Athenee is a home away from home for its guests and our vision for the new developments is to create somewhere that will continue to enchant both local residents and international travellers alike for the next 100 years and beyond.”
The hotel has entrusted Artcurial Briest Poulain F. Tajan to auction several pieces of furniture and artwork. Pieces will include the famous bar from Le Bar created by Patrick Jouin in 2001; the Art Deco style furniture of the Relais Plaza brasserie; and the emblematic spoon and fork sculpture created by renowned artist and illustrator Jean-Michel Folon, which currently stands at the entrance to the Alain Ducasse restaurant. The pieces will be exhibited from 4-6 October 2013. The auction scheduled on 8 October 2013 will take place at Artcurial in the Hotel Marcel Dassault situated at 7 rond-point des Champs-Elysees and will be conducted by co-chairman Francois Tajan and associate director Stephanie Auber.
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