Hotel Preview: The Peninsula Paris to Debut Aug. 1

by TravelPulse Staff
Last updated: 1:17 PM ET, Thu March 13, 2014

PHOTO: The Peninsula Paris is housed in a restored Belle Epoque building dating from 1908. (Courtesy of Peninsula)

It's where George Gershwin composed "An American in Paris" in 1928 and where former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger signed the Vietnam peace accords in 1973. But Peninsula Hotels is about to make history of its own when it opens The Peninsula Paris on Aug. 1.

The hotel, managed by Nicholas Beliard, is located in a restored Belle Epoque building that was originally opened in 1908 as the Hotel Majestic, which is where Gershwin stayed during his time in Paris. In 1958, it was converted into a conference center for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is where Kissinger signed the peace accords.

Now the 200-room property is being completely refurbished as Peninsula's entry in the Paris market. Indeed, the Hong Kong-based luxury chain is the third major Asian-based hotel company to open in Paris in the last two years - the others being Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel is located steps away from the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue des Champs Elysées at 19 Avenue Kléber in Paris' 16th arrondissement, close to some of the world's most famous monuments, museums and luxury shopping venues.

Public Spaces: The seven-story Peninsula Paris is being completely renovated with public spaces complemented by contemporary art installations, furnishings and innovative technology. Rooftop spaces and private terrace gardens offer 360-degree views of Paris.

The hotel will offer many traditional Peninsula brand features, such as afternoon tea served in the lobby, pageboys, Chinese door lion statues, and a fleet of Rolls-Royces. It will have interiors designed by Henry Leung of Hong Kong-based Chhada Siembieda & Associates Ltd., while the architectural restoration is being spearheaded by Richard Martinet of Affine architecture and interior design.

Teams of French master craftsmen are restoring the building using traditional techniques. Marble, stucco, mosaics, roof and wall tiles, wood carvings, stone work, gold leafing, paintings, and other elements have been preserved and returned to their original state.

While the building's exterior has not been altered, the interior has been reconfigured and modernized to create a contemporary hotel that will include the same high-tech room technology found at Peninsula's nine other properties in Asia and the United States.

The Avenue Kléber entrance leads to the grand Peninsula Lobby with restored curved ceilings, marble floors and contemporary furnishings, as well as all-day dining. Meanwhile the hotel's main entrance on Avenue des Portugais is designed for arrival by car, with direct access to the hotel's own underground car park offering space for more than 50 vehicles.

Accommodations: Rising seven stories above Avenue Kléber, The Peninsula features 200 luxurious rooms, including 45 suites, five of which have their own private rooftop gardens with 360-degree views of Paris. Guestrooms will be among the largest and most technologically advanced in Paris.

In addition to the bedroom area, living room and bathroom, each room offers a self-contained dressing room and walk-in closet, including a seated dressing table, a signature Peninsula valet box for discreet pick-up and delivery of polished shoes, laundry and dry-cleaning, a large electronic safe, a luggage rack for two suitcases, Internet radio, weather display panel and a nail dryer.

All rooms and suites have curated artwork, high-end furniture, high-tech lighting and marble bathrooms. Interactive digital bedside and desk tablets are preset in one of 11 languages, and guests will have full touch control of all in-room functions, enabling access to restaurant menus, hotel services and TV channels, in addition to LED touch-screen wall panels featuring valet call, weather details and thermostat, plus language and privacy options.

Dining: The hotel will have six dining venues: The Lobby; LiLi Chinese restaurant, the Kléber Terrace, L'Oiseau Blanc rooftop restaurant, bar and terrace, and the Kléber Bar and a cigar lounge.

The marquee restaurant, despite the property's Paris location, will be LiLi, serving signature Cantonese cuisine including dim sum and other regional specialties. Located on the top floor of the hotel will be L'Oiseau Blanc, the hotel's rooftop restaurant, bar, and terrace featuring French cuisine with views of Parisian rooftops and monuments. The restaurant pays tribute to L'Oiseau Blanc, the biplane that made one of the earliest attempts at a trans-Atlantic crossing in 1927, before Lindbergh successfully made his flight.

The Lobby, Peninsula's signature dining area, will serve breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and light snacks. Paris' only outdoor hotel dining terrace, the Kléber Terrace, an extension of the Lobby on the north terrace and LiLi on the south, will serve breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and light snacks. Diners can also choose Cantonese fare al fresco on the terrace.

Spa & Pool: As part of the hotel's modernization, three basement levels were excavated to provide room for the Peninsula Spa, a 1,800-square-meter facility offering six private treatment rooms and two VIP couples' suites with spa treatments by ESPA. Also included is a 20-meter indoor heated swimming pool with underwater mood LED lighting and a separate whirlpool, as well as a fitness center and other facilities.

Transportation: The Peninsula Paris will offer full limousine service for airport transfers, sightseeing and trips around Paris. Continuing Peninsula's partnership with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a Rolls-Royce EWB Phantom and a restored 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II are available for guests. In addition, there will be two customized Peninsula Edition Mini Cooper Clubman vehicles.