Le Meurice

Coordinates: 48°51′55″N 2°19′42″E / 48.86528°N 2.32833°E / 48.86528; 2.32833
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Hotel Meurice
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For the hotel in Calais, see Hôtel Meurice de Calais.
Le Meurice
Luxury hotel
Classification ("Palace" grade)
Town or cityParis (1st arrondissement)
CountryFrance
Coordinates48°51′55″N 2°19′42″E / 48.86528°N 2.32833°E / 48.86528; 2.32833
Opened1815
OwnerBrunei Investment Agency
ManagementDorchester Collection
Website
Official website

Le Meurice (French pronunciation:

Rue de Rivoli.[1][self-published source] From the Rue de Rivoli, it stretches to the Rue du Mont Thabor.[2] The hotel was opened in 1815.[3] It received the "Palace" distinction from the French government in 2011.[4] Le Meurice is owned and operated by the Dorchester Collection, a luxury hotel operator based in London. The hotel has a staff of over 400 and houses 160 rooms decorated in the Louis XVI style, which start at US$1,235 per night.[5]

History

Early years

In the mid-18th century, the French postmaster, Charles-Augustin Meurice (born 1738), understood that English tourists wanted to be on the continent with the comforts and conveniences they were used to at home. In 1771, Meurice opened a coach inn on Rue Edmond Roche in Calais, the Hôtel Meurice de Calais.[6][7] In 1815, he opened the Hôtel Meurice in Paris, originally located at 223 Rue Saint-Honoré. Le Meurice offered everything to make life easier for the traveler; apartments of various sizes, areas set aside where travelers could sit and talk, specialty laundry soap, English-speaking staff, and currency exchange, among other amenities. The hotel advertised, "For an English traveler, no hotel in Paris offers more benefits than Le Meurice."

Hotel lobby

In 1835, Le Meurice moved from Rue Saint Honore to its current location on the Rue de Rivoli, in a new luxurious building, close to the Tuileries Palace.[2] A wealthy clientele followed, and during the July Monarchy to the French Third Republic, Le Meurice welcomed the high society of the time, who appreciated the quality of service, the refinement of the rooms and lounges, as well as the exceptional location of the hotel in the heart of Paris, near luxury boutiques.

In the latter half of the 19th century, Henri-Joseph Scheurich was its proprietor and, in 1865, he is documented as managing the hotel under the London and Paris Hotel Company.[8] He is mentioned again in 1867, at which time the hotel offered large and small apartments, or single bedrooms; and featured a reading room and smoking room.[9] In 1891, the hotel had electric lights, new plumbing, and accommodated 200 guests; Scheurich was still the proprietor.[3]

Early 20th century

In the early 20th century, one of the shareholders of the new company was

Peace of Versailles
, and the wrought iron canopy over the lobby.

World War II

Between September 1940 and August 1944, the hotel was requisitioned by the German occupation authorities. In August 1944, the Meurice became the headquarters of General Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris. von Choltitz famously disobeyed Hitler's commands to level the city of Paris. Hitler's reported question screamed to von Choltitz over a Hotel Meurice telephone, "Is Paris burning?", later served as the title of a best-selling book about the liberation of Paris, and the 1966 film which was shot partly at the Meurice.[11][12]

Recent history

During its long existence, Le Meurice has experienced several transfers of ownership as well as major refurbishments: one from 1905 to 1907, the second in 1947 and most recently in 1998.[13] Each of these renovations included modernization and beautification of the hotel.

The Société du Grand Hôtel, which also owned the nearby

ITT Sheraton. However, at the urging of his senior hospitality advisor, Paul Ruffino, he maintained ownership of the Meurice until 1997, when he sold the hotel to the Sultan of Brunei's Brunei Investment Agency, who made it part of the company's Dorchester Collection.[17]

The Meurice underwent another round of extensive renovation and restoration between 1998 and 2000.[13] In 2007, Le Meurice began renovations under Philippe Starck and Franka Holtmann, General Manager. Its decor is in the style of Louis XVI.[18] The renovations also included a campaign led by Jean-Loup Roubert and the architect Nicolas Papamiltiades, which changed certain areas of the building for technical reasons, with the creation of an underground infrastructure for heating and cooling, and for aesthetic purposes. New reception rooms have been created on the ground floor, while the main entrance was moved to Rue de Rivoli. Decorations, mosaics and moldings were the subject of extensive renovation by skilled craftsmen.[19][20]

The hotel is now owned and managed by the Brunei Investment Agency's

Coworth Park in Ascot, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, the Principe di Savoia in Milan, Hotel Eden in Rome, and Le Richemond in Geneva.[21]

The French ministry of economy recognized Le Meurice with palace distinction in 2011 on the first official list of government-approved palaces in France.[22]

Restaurants and bars

Le Meurice has two main restaurants. Restaurant le Meurice overlooks the Tuileries Garden and was run by 3

Michelin star chef Yannick Alléno until 2013 when he resigned and 3 Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse was named head chef.[23] Restaurant Le Dali is situated under a 145 square metre (1560 square feet) canvas painted by Ara Starck, the daughter of Philippe Starck.[24] It also has the cocktail bar Bar 228 with leather armchairs and dark woodwork furnishings.[6][25]

Notable patrons

Salvador Dalí, pictured at the Hôtel Meurice, spent about a month of each year over 30 years in the old Royal Suite Alphonse XIII.

The hotel has accommodated numerous kings, sultans, and other eminent guests.

Nazi Germany later the same year.[29]

Watch The Throne album.[citation needed
]

In the media

The hotel has been a setting for several films, including

Madonna) in 2010[33] and Diplomacy
in 2014.

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-4010-0466-8
    . Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b Clunn, Harold Philip (1958). Face of Paris. Spring Books. pp. 24–25. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b Phillips, Morris (1891). Abroad and at home: practical hints for tourists (Public domain ed.). Brentano's. p. 126. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  4. ^ Shah, Nausheen (13 August 2013). "Crowning the Royals in Paris". New York Post. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. ^ O'Ceallaigh, John (8 July 2014). "The best hotels in Paris". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-0-9804667-0-6
    . Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  7. ISBN 978-1-86011-183-9
    . Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  8. ^ Bradshaw, George (1865). Bradshaw's illustrated hand-book to Italy (Public domain ed.). p. 300. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  9. ^ Hughes, John William C.; Bradshaw, George (1867). Bradshaw's hand-book to Brittany (Public domain ed.). Adams. pp. 42–. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  10. ISBN 978-1-86189-121-1
    . Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Paris: Vive la liberation". The Independent. 30 August 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  12. ^ Blumenson, Martin (1998). "Politics and the Military in the Liberation of Paris". Strategic Studies Institute. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  13. ^
    ISBN 978-0-471-47912-3
    . Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  14. ^ a b "Dernières hésitations avant la cession du Grand Hôtel à des acheteurs britanniques En savoir plus sur" [Latest delays before the transfer of the Grand Hotel to British buyers]. Le Monde (in French). 20 March 1980.
  15. ^ a b "UK Firm Buys French Hotels". International Herald Tribune. 19–20 January 1980. p. 3.
  16. ^ Cohen, Roger (24 May 1993). "Creditors Chip Away at Aga Khan's Legend". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  17. ^ Revzin, Philip (28 May 1997). "Investing: Aga Khan to Gradually Sell Hotel, Travel Holdings". The Wall Street Journal. p. 4.
  18. ISBN 978-0-312-36163-1
    . Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  19. ^ "Hotel Meurice-Paris". Hotel Designs. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  20. ^ "Le Meurice Hotel, Paris". Xen Design. 7 October 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  21. ^ "Hotels That Speak to History". Leaders. 1 January 2012. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  22. ^ "The New Superstar Hotels of Paris". Condé Nast Traveler. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  23. ^ Sage, Alexandria (September 9, 2013). "French chef Alain Ducasse rejects the easy 'wow' at Le Meurice". Reuters. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  24. ^ "Restaurants and bars". Le Meurice. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  25. ^ Marcus, J.S. (April 16, 2015). "Classic Kir Gets a Refreshing Twist". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  26. ^ Karnow, Stanley (May 1999). "Grandes Dames". Gourmet. LIX (5): 118–128. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  27. ^ Reynolds, Catharine (July 1992). "Paris Journal: Hotel Meruice". Gourmet. LII (7): 42–45, 104–105. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  28. ISBN 978-1476728766
    . le meurice.
  29. ISBN 978-0-34900-108-1
    .
  30. ^ Reynolds, C P (July 1983). "Paris Journal". Gourmet. XLII (7): 6, 44–50. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  31. ISBN 978-0-9804667-1-3
    . Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  32. ISBN 978-1-85585-105-4
    . Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  33. ^ Rogers, Sam. "Le Meurice Hits the Big Screen this Summer". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Le Meurice.
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