PHOTO: Like the Eiffel Tower the building of the Hilton Paris Opera was originally built for the Paris Exposition of 1889. (Courtesy the Hilton Paris Opera)

In the 1850s, Napoleon III decided his capital needed a facelift. The old medieval quarter that was the heart of Paris was holding the city back from riding the spirit of progress that was transforming 19^th-century Europe and America. So he turned to Georges Eugene Haussmann to transform the city and Haussmann responded with an urban design that was the antithesis of the close quarters, narrow bending warren of streets that were medieval cities. In came the broad straight boulevards and the cleaner, straighter lines on the architecture.

The broad boulevards of Paris are still a testament to Haussmann’s vision of the haut monde. Walking those broad avenues imparts that high society feeling even to the humblest of visitors. There’s no better activity for putting on the air in Paris than shopping. Visitors love to shop in Paris, not so much because it has good deals (it doesn’t) or because you can get things there that are unique to Parisian shops. Visitors shop in Paris simply because it gives them an activity that engages them with the city. Department stores like Printemps, Le Bon Marche and the Galeries Lafayette are much more than the goods they sell; they’re theatres of style and ritual.

Paris, with about 75,000 rooms, has been adding a string of hotels that are lifting its haute status even higher. Properties like the new Shangri-La and the Hotel Indigo Paris – Opera have begun additions; then came the Peninsula this past August, and next up is the Hilton Paris Opera in January. With occupancy rates in the 80s, the city will continue to add rooms, but this year was particularly strong in adding rooms at the highest level.

 The former Concorde Paris Opera will emerge from its $50 million transformation by Richmond’s noted designer Fiona Thompson into the 268-room Hilton Paris Opera. Thompson brings a more modern urbane glamor to the 125-year hotel palace on the Right Bank, a short walk from the Champs-Elysées, Opéra Square and Rue de la Paix, the Opéra Garnier, the Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps Haussmann.

“The transformation of this property over the past year has been truly magnificent,” said General Manager Sofia Vandaele.  “We have been respectful of the building’s fabulous historic features while updating it with all of the latest technology and design upgrades today’s traveler expects.”

The responsibility for maintaining the historicity of the hotel, which like the Eiffel Tower, was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, was pressing. The new design scheme pays homage to that history while providing an updated aesthetic for today’s traveler. First among the hotel’s 29 suites is the 900 square-foot Maria Callas Suite. The suite has a spacious high-ceilinged living room, a master bedroom with one king bed, and a second bedroom with twin beds, both with private bathrooms designed with walk-in showers.  

The lobby leads to Le Grand Salon with its soaring 46-foot high ceilings and frescos, now with a large feature brass bar, high tables and a mix of contemporary and vintage furniture. Open from early mornings till late evenings, Le Grand Salon is a place for meetings, light meals and evening cocktails.

The 200-room Peninsula Paris opened on Aug. 1 with a VIP ceremonial ribbon cutting and a Chinese lion dance to acknowledge the hotels’ Asian pedigree. “This will be our tenth Peninsula hotel but only our first hotel in Europe,” said Clement Kwok, CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels.

The original property opened as the Hotel Majestic in 1908 and was sold to the French government in 1936. The hotel’s rich history includes its status as a venue for the Paris Peace Talks, a legendary meeting between Marcel Proust and James Joyce and more. It opened as a Peninsula in August after a $534 million four-year renovation.

If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry, they should be able to recoup it. The top suite in the hotel books for $31,000 per night. That ghostly music you may hear from time to time in its corridors could be the ghost of George Gershwin returning to the hotel where he wrote parts of American in Paris in 1928. The rooftop terrace with its 360° view of Paris, is home to L’Oiseau Blanc restaurant, bar and terrace.