There's a fine line between luxury hotels and palaces. But not everyone can call themselves a palace.
To date, Paris officially has only six palaces, with a total of 723 rooms. The George V, the Ritz, the Plaza Athenée, the Meurice, the Crillon and the Bristol are all part of the city's image. Some people like to say that "without them, Paris would no longer be Paris". Since the opening of the George V in 1928, no luxury establishment has succeeded in being crowned a palace. The Park Hyatt Vendôme, which opened in 2002 on rue de la Paix, did claim the title.
Without success. Its location, its listed façade that had to be upgraded, the magnificent sobriety of its architecture and interior design, its service, its average prices of over 700 euros a night and its jet-set clientele were not enough to win it a place. The main complaint was that there were not enough suites and that the spa was too small. This spring, Hyatt rectified the situation, adding eight new suites, including three presidential suites with integrated spas, and revamping its spa. It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to earn the hotel its reputation.
Fouquet's Barrière also has to prove itself. Here again, it is only a palace by self-proclamation. Even before it opened, all its marketing was built around the seventh Parisian palace or palace of the 21st century, with high-tech service and a concierge who has become virtual in favour of a personal 'butler'. "I take issue with the rumour that it is impossible to create a palace in the 21st century. A palace does not have to be a museum," says Éric Boonstoppel, the hotel's general manager. "Seven criteria distinguish a palace from another four-star hotel, and we already meet five of them. We now need to fine-tune the service and the history. The staff still have to settle in and find their bearings. As for the myth, it is being built day by day on the basis of an already historic place: the Brasserie.
The inauguration in front of a host of celebrities and stars, including Sophie Marceau as godmother and Nicolas Sarkozy celebrating the victory of 6 May. Photos of the new outgoing president of Fouquet's were shown around the world, along with a little controversy: that's how you build a legend! The rather young clientele seems to be responding well to this new offer in the Golden Triangle. "We have an occupancy rate of 60 % for an average price of over 800 euros", says Eric Boonstoppel, who has two years to consolidate the hotel's reputation. Fouquet's Barrière has paved the way for a number of palace and luxury hotel projects in the capital. Shangri La will open on Avenue d'Iena in 2009.
"The façade of Prince Roland Bonaparte's former private mansion will be preserved, but the interior has been completely redesigned to accommodate 140 rooms and suites ranging in size from 40 to 160 m2, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, two restaurants and a business club," explains Martin Waechter, Executive Director of Shangri La Hotels and Resorts. In 2010, it will be Mandarin Oriental's turn to move into an Art Deco building on the rue Saint-Honoré...
