This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/15/paris-hotels-claridge-ritz-renovate-asia-palace
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Paris superstar hotels rush to renovate amid palatial competition | Paris superstar hotels rush to renovate amid palatial competition |
| (1 day later) | |
| The hotel bar where Ernest Hemingway used to while away the hours is now a Starbucks cafe. The swimming pool no longer exists. But the five-star Claridge hotel on the Champs-Elysées has restored the 110 rooms and suites above, where glitterati such as Edith Piaf, Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich once stayed, to celebrate its centenary. | The hotel bar where Ernest Hemingway used to while away the hours is now a Starbucks cafe. The swimming pool no longer exists. But the five-star Claridge hotel on the Champs-Elysées has restored the 110 rooms and suites above, where glitterati such as Edith Piaf, Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich once stayed, to celebrate its centenary. |
| The Claridge, the model for Georges Simenon’s Hotel Majestic in his Maigret books, remained open during its latest refurbishment, which took place one floor at a time. It is not alone in its revamp, as other so-called “palaces” of Paris carry out major renovations to fight off a challenge from big Asian hospitality groups. | The Claridge, the model for Georges Simenon’s Hotel Majestic in his Maigret books, remained open during its latest refurbishment, which took place one floor at a time. It is not alone in its revamp, as other so-called “palaces” of Paris carry out major renovations to fight off a challenge from big Asian hospitality groups. |
| The exclusive Crillon hotel, now owned by a Saudi prince, has a similarly colourful history, having been frequented in the past by not only Marie Antoinette but also Jacqueline Onassis, Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor. During the Nazi occupation the hotel – built in 1758 and one of the oldest in the world – housed the offices of the military governor of Paris. | The exclusive Crillon hotel, now owned by a Saudi prince, has a similarly colourful history, having been frequented in the past by not only Marie Antoinette but also Jacqueline Onassis, Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor. During the Nazi occupation the hotel – built in 1758 and one of the oldest in the world – housed the offices of the military governor of Paris. |
| The Crillon has also closed for renovations and is expected to reopen next year. The Ritz hotel, owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, has also shut for a €140m (£111m) revamp that will include a removable glass roof over the restaurant. Fayed’s son Dodi and Princess Diana were staying at the hotel when they set out on their last fateful car journey. | The Crillon has also closed for renovations and is expected to reopen next year. The Ritz hotel, owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, has also shut for a €140m (£111m) revamp that will include a removable glass roof over the restaurant. Fayed’s son Dodi and Princess Diana were staying at the hotel when they set out on their last fateful car journey. |
| The Parisian hotels received a wake-up call in 2010 after the French tourist ministry decided to award a new category of “palaces” to five-star hotels with exceptional hospitality. To general surprise the Ritz and the exclusive George V hotel, located by the Champs-Elysées, failed to make the original list. | The Parisian hotels received a wake-up call in 2010 after the French tourist ministry decided to award a new category of “palaces” to five-star hotels with exceptional hospitality. To general surprise the Ritz and the exclusive George V hotel, located by the Champs-Elysées, failed to make the original list. |
| The George V is on the current list of palaces, which includes eight in Paris out of a total 16. However, of the eight, three are operated by Asian groups: the Hotel Royal Monceau-Raffles, which offers 3,767 sq ft presidential suites, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Shangri-La. | The George V is on the current list of palaces, which includes eight in Paris out of a total 16. However, of the eight, three are operated by Asian groups: the Hotel Royal Monceau-Raffles, which offers 3,767 sq ft presidential suites, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Shangri-La. |
| Gwenola Donet of Jones Lang Lasalle hotels and hospitality group said that the competition from the Asian groups, which could start with a blank slate when creating their ultra-luxury hotels, was the principal reason for the rush to renovate by the historic top-end hotels. | Gwenola Donet of Jones Lang Lasalle hotels and hospitality group said that the competition from the Asian groups, which could start with a blank slate when creating their ultra-luxury hotels, was the principal reason for the rush to renovate by the historic top-end hotels. |
| The Fraser Suites Le Claridge, now operated by the Singapore-based serviced apartment operator Frasers Hospitality, turned to French designer Pascal Allaman for the facelift. He says he was inspired by the “aesthetic vocabulary” of the grand buildings in the swanky neighbourhood and says he wanted to recreate “the world of the great haute couture establishments” nearby. | |
| The hotel’s long corridors resemble a catwalk, their carpets striped in the signature colours of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. The rooms have Chanel’s beige draughtboard motif on the carpet and some walls are painted in the deep blue favoured by Saint Laurent. | The hotel’s long corridors resemble a catwalk, their carpets striped in the signature colours of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. The rooms have Chanel’s beige draughtboard motif on the carpet and some walls are painted in the deep blue favoured by Saint Laurent. |
| Some of the suites boast the original marble bathroom floors, marked with the famous name. Others have turquoise mosaics from the 1940s. The hotel, which opened in 1914, was used as a wartime hospital before returning to its original purpose. | Some of the suites boast the original marble bathroom floors, marked with the famous name. Others have turquoise mosaics from the 1940s. The hotel, which opened in 1914, was used as a wartime hospital before returning to its original purpose. |
| A plaque on the door of suite 102 bears the names of actors Jean Gabin and Marlene Dietrich, who had a passionate affair after the second world war. Dietrich joined Gabin in the hotel, where he stayed after being demobbed in July 1945. The writer Colette lived in the hotel for several years. | A plaque on the door of suite 102 bears the names of actors Jean Gabin and Marlene Dietrich, who had a passionate affair after the second world war. Dietrich joined Gabin in the hotel, where he stayed after being demobbed in July 1945. The writer Colette lived in the hotel for several years. |
| But the relentless competition from Asia continues to challenge Paris’s traditional hotels. The Peninsula hotels group of Hong Kong opened its first hotel in the French capital in August. | But the relentless competition from Asia continues to challenge Paris’s traditional hotels. The Peninsula hotels group of Hong Kong opened its first hotel in the French capital in August. |
| Donet played down suggestions of oversupply once the “palaces” – which charge from €800 (£635) per room – are all back on the market in 2016, providing a total of up to 1,800 rooms. “In the mid-term they’ll be able to absorb the demand,” she said. | Donet played down suggestions of oversupply once the “palaces” – which charge from €800 (£635) per room – are all back on the market in 2016, providing a total of up to 1,800 rooms. “In the mid-term they’ll be able to absorb the demand,” she said. |