Hotel of the Week: Hôtel de Crillon Launches Exciting New Cultural and Gastronomic Programming This Season 

On the corner of the famous Place de la Concorde in Paris, the Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, stands as a high-Neoclassical monument steeped in history and culture. Commissioned by Louis XV and designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1758, the magnificent building dates back to before the French Revolution, initially serving as a private residence before being transformed into a luxury hotel in 1909. Following an extensive four-year restoration that concluded in 2017, the Crillon was elevated beyond a historic landmark, positioning itself as a palace for the 21st century. It offers guests an immersion into the very essence of Paris, where legacy, art, and the ultimate art de vivre can be experienced. 

That ethos was most recently on display during Art Basel Paris in October. The hotel teamed up with collector and entrepreneur Hélène Nguyen-Ban, the founder of Docent, a groundbreaking Spotify-like app created in collaboration with researcher Mathieu Rosenbaum to offer a new approach to art discovery and collecting. It makes use of the first-ever personalized algorithmic recommendation system built on machine learning technologies, breaking down barriers of exclusivity within the art world.

During the fair week, Docent presented an exhibition with a selection of leading artists, including Prix Marcel Duchamp nominee Bianca Bondi, activating the neoclassical interiors of the hotel in a fascinating dialogue between old and new. “Having grown up between continents, I’ve always seen art as a universal language, a way to cross thresholds and create new narratives,” says Nguyen-Ban. “When I think of Hôtel de Crillon and its historic salons, I recall its original purpose as a home for ambassadors, a place of encounter and exchange. Aline Asmar d’Ammam’s renovation has illuminated this legacy with remarkable sensitivity, letting the past shine through in a renewed light. At Docent, we are honored to invite contemporary artists to take up that role of cultural ambassadors, entering into dialogue with history to create something both timeless and urgently of today.” 

The extraordinary transformation from famed residence to a symbol of high-design was no small feat. The hotel project manager, Richard Martinet, meticulously preserved the physical heritage, including the listed historic reception rooms, while the acclaimed French-Lebanese interior designer Aline Asmar d’Ammam served as the visionary artistic director. D’Ammam’s core philosophy was to “build bridges between the 18th and 21st centuries,” creating a holistic style that honors the past with a daring, modern flair. She orchestrated the work of a cohort of distinguished designers, ensuring that the original boiserie and soaring ceilings were complemented by bespoke contemporary creations. 

Importantly, D’Ammam focused on enlisting female artisans in honor of Queen Marie Antoinette, who was a regular visitor to the palace before her tragic demise, commissioning in the salon, for example, a console by Ingrid Donat, hand-sculpted panels by Zoe Ouvrier, artwork by Lauren Collin, photography by Claire Adelfang, a tapestry by atelier Bokja led by two female entrepreneurs. “From the moment you enter the property, you feel the quintessential grace of a home, a hotel particular, with no reception, as instead, there is a flowing lobby where the seating is eclectic, and all the energy comes from the bar des Ambassadeurs. It was once the venue for a restaurant, and now it’s like a marble temple turned rock ‘n’ roll with a sexy mood and a very Parisian vibe,” explains D’Ammam. “Once this was achieved, it was all about embracing the legacy of the building, and adding some edge with unexpected elements and scenarios, a touch of irreverence, and of course, the spirit of Marie-Antoinette.” 

Other highlight contributions include Karl Lagerfeld’s Les Grands Appartements Signature Suites, which was one of the last projects before his death. Infused with his mastery of the French flair, these suites are a testimony to his personal passion for 18th-century luxury craftsmanship. Designer Chahan Minassian, who was tasked to redesign key dining areas including the stunning Bar Les Ambassadeurs with its heritage-listed painted ceiling, employed semi-precious stones and opulent fabrics to create a subtle tension between past structure and contemporary forms. Meanwhile, Tristan Auer brought his eclectic chic to the reception areas, and Cyril Vergniol took an art connoisseur’s approach to the standard rooms, enhancing the decor with a carefully curated “organized chaos” of eclectic objects and photos.

The Crillon’s strength as a cultural space is deeply rooted in its philosophy of patronage. London based art curators Fru Tholstrup and Jane Neal were tasked with bringing together an art collection for the hotel, meticulously arranging over a thousand original and contemporary works throughout the palace. The aim was to ensure the collection felt less like a temporary exhibition and more like the treasured pieces of a resident collector.

Cutting-edge contemporary art, indeed, is spotted in every nook and cranny of the property. Welcoming guests at the entrance is a striking colorful stacked sculpture by British artist Annie Morris, which she created out of pigment, metal, concrete, plaster, and sand. Elsewhere, there are other commissions including Kate MccGwire’s Conundrum, which is crafted with deep blue rooster feathers, exploring dualities between beauty and disgust, science and art, the comforting and the unsettling; Xavier Le Normand’s Grande Galaxie Marie Antoinette (2017) a mesmerizing wall sculpture made of glass; Jules de Balincourt’s Commission, which is found in the lobby area and depicts the bustling streetscape outside the hotel, and a hammered, polished brass sculpture by Nathaniel Le Barre. 

This focus on heritage and high culture extends to the hotel’s culinary spaces this fall and winter, too. On offer each afternoon is the highly sought-after Marie-Antoinette Afternoon Tea, which takes place in the beautiful Jardin d’Hiver. The experience features a delectable assortment of pastries crafted by Pastry Chef Matthieu Carlin, served on Faïencerie de Gien’s Marie-Antoinette collection. 

For those who prefer an evening affair, the elegant L’Ecrin restaurant and Les Ambassadeurs presents a special new Kaspar Caviar Service, pairing an assortment of different caviars with champagne. Also introduced this year is a new cocktail menu, “A Sense of Memories,” which includes evocative drinks like Seaside, based on Haku vodka, aquavit and manzanilla, or Forest, a more plant-based blend of VSOP cognac, birch, lichen and poplar buds.

After experiencing the art, food, and history, visitors should make sure they wind down at the Sense, A Rosewood Spa, which offers a unique immersive artistic experience of its own. Here, artist New York-based ceramic artist Peter Lane has created a stunning, ethereal ceramic fresco that lines the subterranean boudoir swimming pool, transforming the space into a luminous, geological landscape.