Haute couture first and foremost: surrounded by the prestigious houses of the Avenue Montaigne, the Plaza Athénée is anchoring its future in the world of fashion. The palace closed its doors for seven months, initially to expand and integrate three neighbouring buildings bought by the hotel, adding 14 new rooms and suites to its offer. But this forced downtime was also used to bring a new touch of light to the palace. Interior designer Bruno Moinard set about making the living spaces brighter and greener. Marie-José Pommereau brought her feminine eye to bear on redesigning the bedrooms and new flats.
For their part, designers Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku have given a new look to the dining room of the Alain Ducasse restaurant, with a refined aesthetic but also striking elements such as monumental polished stainless steel bells; in fact shells behind which the banquettes are hidden or which serve as screens for the tables and chairs. In the evening, at the back of the room, the wall opens to reveal a cabinet of curiosities illustrating the history of tableware.
Open in the evenings, the restaurant can be reserved for exclusive lunches during the week. The Plaza Athénée now intends to impose its luxurious brand on corporate events. The expansion works have enabled the palace to create an entrance reserved for events, with a dedicated reception area on the right and an entrance to the bar on the left. Also redesigned by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, this flagship area of the hotel can be reserved for private functions during the day, and very exceptionally in the evening. Further on, overlooking the courtyard-garden, the existing Organza lounge has been rejuvenated and can accommodate 80 people in elegant surroundings.
The newly created areas then reveal themselves, with a foyer for breaks, two meeting rooms upstairs - the 35 m2 and 70 m2 Création lounges - and finally the highlight of this parade of event spaces, the Haute Couture lounge. This hushed, very Parisian space - 50 m2 - was also designed by Bruno Moinard. Seven tasselled chandeliers hang from the ceiling, while the floor is carpeted in red to evoke the movement of the dancers' dresses. With a capacity of 200 for cocktails, 160 theatre-style and 130 for banquets, the venue is perfectly soundproofed and lends itself to VIP product launches and gala dinners. As part of the Palace concept, a 'private lounge' service pays attention to the smallest details, with a butler dedicated to ensuring the success of each event.
