Hotel de Crillon

Hotel de Crillon Reported Sold To Saudi Investors

One of the world's most famous hotels (and a former Luxist Awards nominee for Best City Hotel), Hotel de Crillon in Paris, will soon have new owners. Starwood Capital is selling the hotel to Saudi investors with ties to the royal family for a sum said to be around 250 million euros ($353.6 million). That number is quite a bit less than the 420 million euro sum that it was reportedly listed at last year.

French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the buyer may have to spend an additional 100 million euros in renovations. The management of the hotel is expected to go to luxury hotel chain Kempinski, which currently doesn't have a French hotel in its stable. The classical edifice was built in 1758 as a government building commissioned by Louis XV and was converted into a hotel over 100 years ago. Starwood took over the Crillon in 2005.

Tags: awards-main, Hotel de Crillon, kempinski, luxist-awards, paris hotel, Starwood Capital Group

Readers' Choice Award Nominees for Best in Winter Travel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Best Caribbean Cruises
Each of finalists for the Readers' Choice for the Best Caribbean Cruse offers the ultimate in luxury. One features a ship that cost $800 million to build, measures 1,132 feet in length and is outfitted with the latest and most modern amenities, including a pool with a retractable dome. Another offers all-suite, all-balcony ships and the must inclusive ultra-luxury experience with everything included in the fare, including air, gratuities and unlimited shore excursions. The third nominee is perfect for anyone seeking an exclusive experience on a smaller ship while the fourth nominee bills itself as the world's best upper premium cruise line. Finally, there's a nominee known for the feng shui-inspired elegance of its ships as well as the rich cultural activities for its passengers.

Crystal Cruises
Cunard Cruise Lines
Oceania
Regent
Silversea

Best City Hotels
Nominees for Readers' Choice for Best City Hotel include one considered to be the most glamorous in all of London that has been the destination of choice by Kings and Queens alike, not to mention a smattering of Hollywood stars. Another, designed by world-renowned architect, I.M. Pei, rises high above Manhattan offering stunning views. The third nominee is a historic hotel that is only a few short steps away from the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Another nominee, also in Paris, is a breathtakingly beautiful property that was originally a palace commissioned by Louis XV. The final nominee is a tranquil, lush getaway amid gorgeous manicured gardens in Venice, accessible only by boat.

Claridge's, London
Four Seasons, New York
Four Seasons George V, Paris
Hotel Cipriani
Hôtel de Crillon, Paris

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Continue reading “Readers' Choice Award Nominees for Best in Winter Travel”

Top Five City Hotels in the World

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The top five city hotels in the world have several qualities in common, including exceptional service, luxurious accommodations, gorgeous facilities and locations that are hard to beat.

The best city hotels in the world, nominated by Luxist's readers are:

Claridge's, London: Considered to be the most glamorous in all of London, Claridge's has been the destination of choice by Kings and Queens alike, not to mention a smattering of Hollywood stars.

Four Seasons, New York: Designed by world-renowned architect, I.M. Pei, the Four Seasons, New York rises high above Manhattan and offers stunning views.

Four Seasons George V, Paris: A historic hotel, the Four Seasons George V, Paris is only a few short steps away from the Champs-Elysées.

Hotel Cipriani, Venice: A tranquil, lush getaway amid gorgeous manicured gardens in Venice, the Hotel Cipriani is accessible only by boat.

Hôtel de Crillon, Paris: A breathtakingly beautiful property, the Hôtel de Crillon was originally a palace commissioned by Louis XV.

Vote now for the city hotel that you believe is the best in the world. The Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice winners for the Best in Winter Travel will be announced on January 31st.

Tags: awards-main, claridges, four seasons george v, four seasons new york, FourSeasonsGeorgeV, FourSeasonsNewYork, hotel cipriani, hotel de crillon, HotelCipriani, HotelDeCrillon, luxist-awards, winter-travel-main

Hotel de Crillon: Refined Luxury in an Intimate Atmosphere

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Hôtel de Crillon, a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best City Hotel, is among the most beautiful and elegant hotels in the world.

Originally a family residence, the building was designed by eminent architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel, who was commissioned in 1758 by Louis XV to design the columned palace. History says that Marie-Antoinette came here to take her music lessons. The palace was initially home to the Duc d'Aumont, who decorated it sumptuously in the typical French style of the period. In 1788, the Comte de Crillon acquired it and gave it his name. The Crillon remained a family home until 1907, before being turned into a hotel in 1909. While the hotel offers a wide range of accommodation, it still retains the intimate atmosphere of a private residence.

The hotel has hosted Kings, Queens and presidents alike. Crillon guests include Emperor Hirohito of Japan, King
George V of England, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophie of Spain, Sir Winston Churchill, Presidents Herbert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and George Bush and the Dalai Lama.

The Hôtel de Crillon is ideally situated across the street from the Place de la Concorde and next to the American Embassy. It is situated next to the elegant Rue du Faubourg St Honoré. Its set of three reception rooms are classified as historical monuments and its ceilings are six meters high. The hotel is home to one of Paris's finest restaurants, Les Ambassadeurs, which is located in the former ballroom of the Dukes de Crillon. The hotel's Winter Garden is one of the most romantic spots at the Crillon. Coffee and croissants are served in the morning, followed by light meals and drinks throughout the day.

Each of the hotel's rooms are generously sized and elegantly decorated. It offers 103 rooms, 39 suites and five luxury apartments. Each room, suite and apartment has its own decor and color scheme. Among the hotel's suites are the "Duc de Crillon", which was formerly the private chapel of the Crillon family. Its Leonard Bernstein Suite, which was frequently visited by the famous composer it is named for, is situated on the fifth floor of the hotel. The suite has the finest decor and is luxury without ostentation. It has an exceptional view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower from two large terraces.

Rates during the low season range from 770 euros a night for a superior double room to 1,620 euros for a superior suite. Rates include all applicable taxes.

Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of the Winter Travel categories. Readers' Choice Awards for the Best in Winter Travel will be announced on January 31st.

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Saudi Princess Stiffs Parisian Boutiques for $24 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Princess Maha al-Sudairi, the wife of Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister, is holed up in a Paris luxury hotel claiming diplomatic immunity after refusing to pay a $24 million tab she ran up at the city's ritziest boutiques. Al-Sudairi, whose husband Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz is a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family and is second-in-line to the throne, racked up the impressive debt on a year-long spree at the French capital's high-end clothing, jewelry and lingerie boutiques, the London Telegraph reports. In all some 30 businesses have been stiffed including Dior, jewelry shops Chaumet and Victoria Casal, lingerie emporium O Caprices De Lili, and the famed Hotel de Crillon.

The Princess is currently holed up in a $4,000-per-night suite at the ultra-luxe Four Seasons George V hotel (above), which is partly owned by her nephew, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. After some of those owed money initiated legal proceedings, the plaintiffs' lawyer Jacky Benazerah obtained a court order for bailiffs to go to the George V and seize the Princess' belongings. However, the Princess has invoked diplomatic immunity and will likely refuse them entry, in which case the French interior ministry and senior police officials would have to be consulted to authorize a police escort, the BBC reports.

Jamila Boushaba, owner of Paris' O Caprices De Lili lingerie shop, located directly across from the George V, was left holding a $100,000 bill for lacy underthings. "She was a very good customer for eight years, but then simply stopped paying," Boushaba tells the Telegraph. "I made a delivery of lingerie to the George V, but payment never arrived. Every time we called, we were told the bill would be settled the next day. It never was. When we contacted the Saudi ambassador in Paris he said there was nothing he could do for us." An aide to the Saudi royal family was similarly unhelpful, sniffing, "I'm afraid we can't go around settling bills for the Princess's knickers."

Jacky Giami, proprietor of luxury clothing boutique Key Largo, said the Princess stripped his shelves of some $215,000 worth of casual wear. "We know the family well – they're in Paris a lot," Giami tells the Telegraph. "She's not the kind of customer where you ask for a deposit, or to ask to see a piece of identity." Every time the Princess and her entourage visited Giami's and others' shops a representative would offer staff an embossed card stating "Payment to Follow". And of course having all those exquisite clothes cleaned cost quite a bit as well; the Princess is also said to have run up a drycleaning bill of $50,000 - per week.

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Paris' Famed Hotel de Crillon for Sale at $420 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wealth

Paris' famed Hôtel de Crillon, one of the world's most luxurious hotels with a clientele of celebs and royalty, has been put up for sale by its American owner Starwood Capital for about $420 million. Constructed in 1758 as a government building commissioned by Louis XV, the palatial edifice (above) near the Champs Elysées on Place de la Concorde was converted into a hotel 100 years ago. Its Leonard Bernstein suite, on the top floor with a wrap-around terrace, features one of the late maestro's pianos.

Other luminaries past and present who have patronized the Crillon include Marie Antoinette, King George V, the Shah of Iran, Winston Churchill, FDR, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie O, Mariah Carey, Madonna and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The hotel is more likely to be sold to a high net-worth individual or a property investor rather than one of the large hotel chains, the Times of London reports. Starwood took over the Crillon in 2005 as part of its €2 billion acquisition of Taittinger's hotel and champagne empire.

Source

Tags: Elizabeth Taylor, ElizabethTaylor, hotel, Hotel de Crillon, HotelDeCrillon, Leonard Bernstein, LeonardBernstein, Paris, Taittinger, Winston Churchill, WinstonChurchill