L’Hôtel de Crillon: A Renovated Treasure in Paris
Bonjour mes amis,
Yesterday in Paris, we visited the renovated Hôtel de Crillon on La Place de la Concorde (number 10) which has been closed for four years for major structural changes and exquisite amenity upgrades. They have added a spa, enlarged rooms, enhanced the infrastructure, but much of the ambiance of the hotel many of you know and love is still there. As we usually do, we dressed nicely and just walked in as though we belonged. Of course, the moment our camera came out, the touristy truth was out. I approached a very nice gentleman from Romania who politely walked us through some of the areas explaining a little of the history. He was quick to let me know that their renovation was superior to that of the Ritz Hotel.
The small artistic touches were everywhere from exquisite drapery fabric to hand-made leather pillows to a bottle of Louis XIII cognac which as some of you may know could be as much as 10,000 euros. The bar which is the featured image at the top of the post with its molding covered in gold leaf and faux sky ceiling is on the National Historic Registry of France. Enjoy the tour!
We continued to stroll in the area which is right behind the American Embassy on rue Faubourg/St. Honoré, probably the most haute couture street in Paris. Alas, the shops were all closed (Sunday) so my eagerness to make extravagant purchases (ha!) was thwarted. This also runs into the Elysées Palace where the President lives. It was buzzing with activity, we guessed because of Netanyahu’s visit for the Vel d’Hiv commemoration yesterday. If you haven’t read “Sarah’s Key,” buy it today and learn about the French collaboration with the Nazi government and the deportation of French Jews. It’s a fascinating but very sad story.
We ended on the Champs for a little refreshment. The street is still bedecked with “bleu, blanc et rouge” from Bastille Day.
Our evening ended on a wonderful street in the second arrondissement called rue Montorgueil lined with restaurants, one of which has been around since 1832. It was our choice, L’Escargot de Montorgueil. Of course, snails are their speciality, but we all had a variety of different things. Jamie’s bone marrow dish was the most classically French.
My café gourmand was the prettiest.
The “Purely Paris” Photo of the Day is this man feeding the pigeons.
We put James and Stephen in a cab at 7:30 this morning for their return to Nashville. We hope they’ve had a memorable time with us!
À bientôt,
L & B
July 17, 2017 @ 8:20 am
Lovely hotel! Well worth the years spent on the remodeling. I think we need to put on our ritzy clothes and shashay into the bar for a little libation.
July 17, 2017 @ 8:24 am
Oui, oui! Let’s do it!
July 17, 2017 @ 10:23 am
Interesting to see your photos after reading/seeing mixed reviews of the renovation. I’m just glad the scaffolding/’wrapping’ outside is gone!
Have fun and as always merci for sharing.
July 17, 2017 @ 10:45 am
Well, now you have my curiosity aroused. What did the reviews say?
July 17, 2017 @ 11:49 am
Hi again! One FB friend said (my paraphrase) seemed too much like ‘a Marriott’ now with more generic luxury vs. unique/quirky/French … and a food writer who had his first drink there also indicated it ‘wasn’t the old Crillon’ and he would write more soon (hasn’t yet as far as I know).
The bar and courtyard(s) look lovely to me, from everyone’s photos. This piece in the UK Telegraph says one challenge for the Crillon will be its new/recently-reopened competitors! I guess the location is rather unbeatable … can imagine coming out onto the Place de la Concorde at night …
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/travel/hotel-de-crillon-paris-rosewood-hotel-rates-restaurants-reopening/
Look forward to your ‘review’ if you do sashay in for a little libation! 🙂
July 17, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
Thanks for the great information. Will repost the review in tomorrow’s blog.
July 17, 2017 @ 1:42 pm
I love the last paragraph esp!
July 17, 2017 @ 10:48 am
The hotel is truly the epitome of elegance, with a perfect blend of old and new design and furnishings. Every detail is perfect! Life styles of the rich and famous for sure.
July 17, 2017 @ 1:15 pm
Yes, we can dream!
July 17, 2017 @ 11:23 am
Hi Linda
Great post!
I stayed at the Hotel de Crillon twice, once for my 40th birthday and then a couple of years later. It was magnificent then! it looks awesome now. Major ambition to stay again, perhaps as part of a press trip for my blog, who knows!
Loving your daily posts on Paris. My blog is also Paris and London based, I live in London 🙂
July 17, 2017 @ 1:15 pm
Enchante and merci!
July 18, 2017 @ 1:45 am
Linda, thank you for daily posting your adventures and Bernie’s wonderful photographs! Each day I look forward to reading the blog and admiring the wonderful food presentations!
I do believe you need to come home for a vacation! You’ll have treasured memories for a lifetime.
July 18, 2017 @ 6:07 am
Merci, Janice, glad you have enjoyed our escapades.