Hôtel de Crillon

Hôtel de Crillon is a historic luxury hotel in Paris, occupying the western of two matching neoclassical palaces built on what is now Place de la Concorde. Although the hotel opened in 1909, its architectural setting dates from 1758, when Louis XV commissioned architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to design the two buildings. The eastern building became the Hôtel de la Marine, while the western building passed through several aristocratic and governmental associations before becoming the Crillon hotel. The property is closely connected with French and international history. In 1778, it hosted the signing of the first treaties between France and the newly founded United States, including agreements recognizing American independence and establishing commercial relations. The building was acquired by François Félix de Crillon in 1788, confiscated during the French Revolution, and associated with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The royal couple was executed in 1793 in the square directly in front of the building. The property later returned to the Crillon family, whose descendants occupied it until the early twentieth century. The Société du Louvre acquired the building in 1906 and converted it into a hotel. After enlargement and refurbishment supervised by architect Walter-André Destailleur, the Hôtel de Crillon opened on 11 March 1909. Its location near the Champs-Élysées and its monumental interiors made it a destination for political figures, diplomats, artists, writers, and other international visitors. Members of the American delegation to the Paris Peace Conference after the First World War stayed at the hotel, and the property later became part of Paris's literary and social mythology through references in works by Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell. For much of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first, the Crillon operated as an independently recognizable Parisian grand hotel while passing through major ownership changes. Until 2005 it was associated with Société du Louvre, Concorde Hotels & Resorts, and the Taittinger family holding structure. Starwood Capital Group acquired it in 2005, and the property was sold in 2010 to a member of the Saudi royal family, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts announced a management agreement in 2013. The hotel closed in March 2013 for an extensive renovation led by Aline Asmar d'Amman. The work preserved protected historic elements, including the grand staircase and ceremonial salons, while introducing updated rooms, suites, wellness facilities, dining spaces, and contemporary design. Designers involved in the project included Tristan Auer, Chahan Minassian, Cyril Vergniol, and Karl Lagerfeld, who designed the Les Grands Appartements. The hotel reopened on 5 July 2017. Today, Hôtel de Crillon offers 78 rooms and 46 suites, three restaurants, a bar, an outdoor terrace, a gym, and a health club. The property remains protected as a monument historique, a designation it has held since 1900, and in September 2018 it received the official Palace classification from Atout France. Its positioning combines French heritage, formal hospitality, haute cuisine, design, and highly personalized service rather than a broad multi-property hotel-chain proposition.

The building occupied by Hôtel de Crillon was commissioned by Louis XV in 1758 as one of two matching neoclassical palaces designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel. The structures were intended initially for state functions and were separated by Rue Royale on the square that became Place de la Concorde. The western building was first associated with Louis Marie Augustin, Duke of Aumont, and was later enhanced by architect Louis-François Trouard, who added the Salon des Aigles in 1775. The building gained international significance on 6 February 1778, when French diplomat Conrad Alexandre Gérard de Rayneval met Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee there to conclude France's first treaties with the United States. These agreements recognized the American republic's independence and established a commercial relationship. In 1788, François Félix de Crillon acquired the property as a private residence. The revolutionary government confiscated it in 1791. During the revolutionary period it was associated with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who were executed in the square outside in 1793. The property eventually returned to the Crillon family and remained connected with the family for more than a century. In 1906, the Société du Louvre purchased it and began converting the building into a hotel. Neighboring buildings on rue Boissy d'Anglas were acquired to expand the site, and architect Walter-André Destailleur supervised a two-year refurbishment. The Hôtel de Crillon opened on 11 March 1909. The building had already been listed as a French monument historique in 1900, making preservation a central constraint and a defining part of the hotel's identity. During the twentieth century, the hotel developed a reputation as a grand Parisian meeting place. Members of the American delegation to the Paris Peace Conference following the First World War stayed there. The hotel also became part of literary culture: Ernest Hemingway referred to it in The Sun Also Rises and The Snows of Kilimanjaro, while George Orwell later described working as a dishwasher at a Paris hotel understood to have been the Crillon. From 1992 through 2012, the property hosted the Bal des débutantes, a high-profile annual fashion and society event. Ownership and operating arrangements changed in the early twenty-first century. Until 2005, the property was connected through Concorde Hotels & Resorts with Société du Louvre and the Taittinger family's holding company. Starwood Capital Group acquired it in 2005. In 2010, Starwood announced its sale to Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts later became the management company. A major transformation began when the hotel closed in March 2013. Aline Asmar d'Amman led the renovation, working with Tristan Auer, Chahan Minassian, Cyril Vergniol, and Karl Lagerfeld. The designers retained the building's historic staircase, salons, stonework, and other protected features while reworking guestrooms, suites, public areas, restaurants, and wellness facilities. Lagerfeld designed Les Grands Appartements, the property's most elaborate suites. The hotel reopened on 5 July 2017. The renovated hotel has 78 rooms and 46 suites, three restaurants, a bar, an outdoor terrace, a gym, and a health club. In September 2018, Atout France granted it Palace status, placing it within France's highest official hotel classification. Its current identity rests on the combination of a landmark location, aristocratic and diplomatic history, luxury accommodation, dining, events, and Rosewood's international hospitality management.

• 2018

  Receives Palace designation

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  Atout France awarded the hotel the official Palace classification.

• 2017

  Reopening after renovation

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  Hôtel de Crillon reopened on 5 July following a four-year renovation and design program.

• 2013

  Renovation and Rosewood management announced

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel closed for a major renovation, while Rosewood Hotels & Resorts announced its future management role.

• 2010

  Sale to Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah is announced

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  Starwood announced the sale of the hotel to Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

• 2005

  Starwood Capital Group acquires the hotel

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  Starwood Capital Group purchased the hotel from the former Taittinger-associated ownership structure.

• 1909

  Hotel opens

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  After refurbishment and expansion, Hôtel de Crillon opened to guests on 11 March 1909.

• 1906

  Société du Louvre acquires the property

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  The property was purchased for conversion from a historic residence and palace building into a hotel.

• 1900

  Listed as a monument historique

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  The building received French historic-monument protection, which continues to shape the hotel's preservation and renovation strategy.

• 1778

  French-American treaties signed at the building

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  Representatives of France and the newly founded United States concluded treaties recognizing American independence and establishing trade relations.

• 1758

  Construction of the neoclassical palace

  [1]Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org

  Louis XV commissioned Ange-Jacques Gabriel to design two matching palaces on the future Place de la Concorde; the western building later became Hôtel de Crillon.

Palace-level Parisian luxury combining protected eighteenth-century architecture, French cultural heritage, contemporary design, fine dining, and highly personalized service.

• Luxury accommodation · 1909

  Guest rooms

  The hotel offers 78 guest rooms in a historic Place de la Concorde setting. The accommodation proposition combines preserved architectural character with updated furnishings, technology, bathrooms, and personalized service introduced through the 2013–2017 renovation.

• Luxury accommodation · 1909

  Suites

  Hôtel de Crillon has 46 suites, including the highly elaborate Les Grands Appartements. The suite offering is designed around privacy, scale, bespoke service, and a connection to the property's aristocratic and diplomatic heritage.

• Luxury suites · 2017

  Les Grands Appartements

  Les Grands Appartements are the hotel's most expansive and prestigious residential spaces. Karl Lagerfeld designed them as part of the post-2013 renovation, combining contemporary interpretation with the building's historic Parisian setting.

• Food and beverage · 1909

  Restaurants and bar

  The property includes three restaurants and a bar, extending the brand beyond overnight accommodation into fine dining, cocktails, and destination hospitality. The venues are integrated into the hotel's broader positioning as a French luxury landmark.

• Wellness · 2017

  Health club and wellness facilities

  A gym and health club form part of the hotel's contemporary service offer. These facilities were incorporated into the modernized property while maintaining the expectations of a Palace-grade luxury hotel.

• Events and hospitality · 1909

  Private events and salons

  Historic salons and reception areas support private celebrations, social occasions, diplomatic-style gatherings, and other bespoke events. The spaces draw on the building's ceremonial architecture and central Paris location.

• 1992Bal des débutantes

  France · International society and fashion audiences

  Hôtel de Crillon hosted the Bal des débutantes from 1992 through 2012. The annual event connected the hotel with haute couture, international families, media, and Parisian society, and became one of the property's best-known recurring social occasions.

  Outcome. The event reinforced the hotel's identity as a prestigious Parisian venue before ending at the property after the 2012 edition.

  Source

• 2018

  Receive official Palace classificationOther

  Background

  France's Palace designation recognizes hotels that meet elevated standards of service, facilities, and prestige beyond the conventional five-star category.

  Action taken

  Atout France designated Hôtel de Crillon as a Palace-grade hotel.

  Aftermath

  The classification formally confirmed the property's position at the top end of the French luxury-hotel market.

  Source

• 2017

  Reopen as a renovated Rosewood hotelProduct launch

  Background

  Following a four-year closure, the hotel returned to the Paris luxury market under Rosewood Hotels & Resorts management.

  Action taken

  The property reopened on 5 July with redesigned accommodation, dining, wellness, and event facilities.

  Aftermath

  The reopening renewed the hotel's competitive position while preserving its landmark identity.

  Source

• 2013

  Undertake a comprehensive renovationStrategy

  Background

  The hotel needed to modernize its accommodation, public areas, and amenities while preserving its protected historic fabric.

  Action taken

  Hôtel de Crillon closed for a renovation led by Aline Asmar d'Amman, with contributions from several designers, including Karl Lagerfeld.

  Aftermath

  The renovated property reopened in July 2017 with updated rooms, suites, dining, wellness facilities, and a contemporary interpretation of its historic interiors.

  Reported renovation budget. €200 million (2013–2017 renovation)

  Source

• 1906

  Convert the historic property into a hotelStrategy

  Background

  The Société du Louvre acquired the historic building and sought to create a major luxury hotel in a prominent location beside the Champs-Élysées.

  Action taken

  The property was enlarged with neighboring buildings and refurbished under Walter-André Destailleur before opening in 1909.

  Aftermath

  The conversion established Hôtel de Crillon as a Parisian grand hotel while retaining the architectural importance of the site.

  Source

1. 1Hôtel de Crillonen.wikipedia.org