Great news from the City of Light, where the Peninsula Paris is officially open for business.
The first thing that sets this hotel apart is location: It's steps away from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysée. The next is the building itself—a 100-year-old classic French-style building that was the Hotel Majestic, a notable historic landmark. There's also plenty of history attached: Following the wartime occupation of Paris, the hotel was converted into UNESCO’s headquarters in 1946 then in 1958 became the conference center for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, used to host high-profile events until 2009. Since then, the building has been under renovation by local designers and craftsmen—reportedly using traditional techniques to maintain the classic vibe.
A full 20 stonemasons from historic monument specialist Degaine worked on the building's façade to restore the elaborate carved stone flowers, bows and ribbons. Repairs were carried out where possible, carving missing portions by hand using stone dust paste—or where the bas-reliefs were severely damaged, the entire section was replaced by a new stone and hand carved from scratch, using only photos for reference. Each flower cascade took a stonemason three weeks of work, with 12 hours for a small bow.
RELATED: Exclusive Preview of The Peninsula Paris
Inside
The Peninsula Paris has 200 rooms, including 34 suites—five of which have a private rooftop. It also has six restaurants and bars including a panoramic rooftop bar—L’Oiseau Blanc—with a 360-degree view of Paris; the Peninsula Spa; a private reception rooms; and Paris’ first above ground Cigar lounge.
The hotel also has a collection of contemporary artworks from Hong Kong-based Sabrina Feung Fine Art, including two major installations by internationally celebrated artists Ben Jakober and Xavier Corberó, one of Spain’s foremost living sculptors.