A gilded cage. That’s what the Hotel de Crillon felt like to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. They found temporary refuge within its walls. A refuge from the storming revolution. A refuge that couldn’t save them.
Today we stand before the Hotel de Crillon a legendary Parisian landmark. Built in 1758 its neoclassical facade is breathtaking. Architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel designed it. He designed two identical palaces for King Louis XV. One became the Hotel de la Marine. The other the Hotel de Crillon.
Initially intended as offices for the French state. The western building housed the Duke of Aumont a patron of the arts. Louis-Francois Trouard later enhanced the building adding the magnificent Salon de Aigles. Imagine the opulent gatherings held within its walls. The echoes of laughter the whispers of secrets.
In 1778 a pivotal moment in history unfolded within the Hotel de Crillon’s walls. The newly founded United States and France signed their first treaties here. Benjamin Franklin Silas Deane and Arthur Lee represented America. They met with Conrad Alexandre Gerard de Rayneval a French diplomat. This treaty recognized American independence. It established vital trade agreements.
François Félix de Crillon acquired the building for his home in 1788. His family’s name is forever linked with this prestigious building. However this family happiness was short-lived. The French Revolution confiscated the property in 1791. The royal family found shelter here briefly. But their fate was sealed. In 1793 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed in the Place de la Concorde. The place was directly in front of the hotel.
The Crillon family eventually regained the building. Their descendants lived there for over a century. In 1906 the Societe du Louvre transformed it into a luxury hotel. Architect Walter-André Destailleur oversaw a major renovation. Two neighboring buildings were added. The new Hotel de Crillon opened on March 11 1909.
Since then this grand hotel has hosted countless notables. Presidents world leaders celebrities. From Theodore Roosevelt to Winston Churchill Madonna Taylor Swift to Roger Federer. The hotel hosted members of the American delegation at the Paris Peace Conference after World War I. The Bal des Debutantes an annual fashion event. It was held there from 1992 to 2012.
A recent 200 million euro renovation restored the hotel’s grandeur. The 19th-century staircase and salons remain. Yet modern amenities and styles were expertly incorporated. Karl Lagerfeld even designed some of the hotel’s luxurious suites. The Hotel de Crillon a testament to history elegance. And enduring Parisian charm.