Le Meurice

Le Meurice is a historic luxury hotel in Paris's 1st arrondissement, facing the Tuileries Garden between Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. It is operated by Dorchester Collection and owned through the Brunei Investment Agency. The hotel forms part of the small international group of properties associated with the Dorchester name, while retaining a highly individual Parisian identity. The business began in 1815, when Charles-Augustin Meurice established a Paris hotel after developing an earlier coach inn in Calais for English travelers. Its early proposition was practical as well as luxurious: furnished apartments and rooms, English-speaking employees, traveler services, laundry facilities and currency exchange. In 1835 the hotel moved to its present Rue de Rivoli location, where proximity to the Tuileries, government institutions, luxury shops and cultural landmarks helped attract aristocratic, royal and international clientele. Le Meurice was substantially rebuilt and enlarged in the early twentieth century to compete with the Ritz and other leading Paris hotels. The project introduced modern bathrooms, telephones, electric service bells, improved public rooms and richly decorated Louis XVI-style interiors. Later restorations preserved the building's historic character while adding contemporary infrastructure and guest facilities. A major refurbishment from 1998 to 2000 was followed by further work beginning in 2007 under Philippe Starck and Franka Holtmann, including restoration of decorative features, changes to the entrance and reception areas, and the creation of underground heating and cooling infrastructure. The hotel has approximately 160 rooms and suites, with public spaces designed around classical French decoration, craftsmanship and art. Its hospitality offer includes accommodation, restaurants, a cocktail bar, private events and wellness-related services. Restaurant Le Meurice has been associated with leading chefs including Yannick Alléno and Alain Ducasse. Le Dali is distinguished by a large canvas designed by Ara Starck, while Bar 228 provides a more intimate lounge setting. Le Meurice received France's official Palace distinction in 2011, a government recognition reserved for the country's highest category of luxury hotels. Its reputation also rests on its cultural history. Salvador Dalí was a long-term resident, and the hotel has hosted monarchs, political figures, artists, musicians, actors and other prominent visitors. It has appeared as a location in films including Is Paris Burning?, Midnight in Paris and Diplomacy. In 2011, Jay-Z and Kanye West recorded material associated with Watch the Throne at the hotel. Le Meurice therefore operates both as a hotel and as a globally recognizable symbol of Parisian luxury, heritage and artistic life.

Charles-Augustin Meurice entered the hospitality business after recognizing that English visitors wanted familiar services while traveling on the European continent. In 1771 he opened the Hôtel Meurice de Calais, a coach inn serving travelers arriving from England. In 1815 he established the Paris hotel that carried his name, initially at 223 Rue Saint-Honoré. Its early offer combined accommodation with practical conveniences, including different sizes of apartments, communal spaces, English-speaking staff, laundry support and currency exchange. In 1835 Le Meurice moved to Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries Garden. The new location placed it at the center of Parisian political, commercial and cultural life. During the nineteenth century the hotel became associated with wealthy and aristocratic visitors. Henri-Joseph Scheurich was documented as proprietor and manager in the 1860s and 1890s, when the property offered rooms and apartments, reading and smoking rooms, electric lighting and modern plumbing. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Arthur Millon and Swiss hotelier Frédéric Schwenter led an expansion intended to strengthen the property against the Ritz and other competitors. The hotel incorporated the nearby Metropole Hotel and was rebuilt under architect Henri Paul Nénot, while retaining its façade. The redesign emphasized Louis XVI decoration, elaborate salons, marble and gilded detailing, modern bathrooms, telephones, electric service bells and improved privacy. A distinctive elevator modeled on Marie Antoinette's sedan chair became part of the hotel's theatrical identity. During the German occupation of Paris, from September 1940 to August 1944, the hotel was requisitioned by occupation authorities. In August 1944 it served as the headquarters of General Dietrich von Choltitz, the German military governor of Paris. The events surrounding the liberation of Paris, including the reported telephone exchange concerning whether Paris was burning, later became part of the hotel's historical mythology and were represented in the book and film Is Paris Burning? The property underwent successive ownership changes in the second half of the twentieth century. The Société du Grand Hôtel sold it and related Paris properties to CIGA Hotels in 1972. It subsequently passed through Limnico and Grand Metropolitan Hotels, became associated with Inter-Continental after Grand Metropolitan acquired that group, and returned to CIGA in 1984. CIGA was later controlled by the Aga Khan and sold to ITT Sheraton in 1994, although the Meurice remained under separate ownership until its sale in 1997 to the Brunei Investment Agency. It then became part of Dorchester Collection. Restoration and modernization continued through projects in 1947, 1998–2000 and from 2007 onward. The later project involved Philippe Starck, Franka Holtmann, Jean-Loup Roubert and architect Nicolas Papamiltiades. Work restored mosaics, moldings and other decorative elements while adding concealed technical infrastructure, changing reception spaces and moving the principal entrance to Rue de Rivoli. The modern hotel combines approximately 160 rooms and suites with fine dining, a bar, private hospitality and event facilities. Restaurant Le Meurice has been led by prominent chefs, including Yannick Alléno and Alain Ducasse. Le Dali takes its name and visual identity from its large painted ceiling canvas by Ara Starck, and Bar 228 provides a classic cocktail-lounge setting. In 2011 the French government granted Le Meurice the Palace distinction. Its long list of royal, political, artistic and entertainment guests, its film appearances and its association with Salvador Dalí have made the hotel an enduring emblem of Parisian luxury.

• 2011

  Receives Palace distinction

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  Le Meurice is included on France's first official government-approved Palace list.

• 1997

  Joins Dorchester Collection

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  The Brunei Investment Agency acquires the hotel and places it within Dorchester Collection.

• 1940

  Hotel requisitioned during occupation

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  German occupation authorities requisition the hotel from September 1940 until August 1944.

• 1905

  Major rebuilding begins

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  Expansion and reconstruction introduce the hotel's landmark Louis XVI interiors and modern guest facilities.

• 1835

  Move to Rue de Rivoli

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel relocates to its present site opposite the Tuileries Garden.

• 1815

  Paris hotel founded

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  Charles-Augustin Meurice opens the Paris Hôtel Meurice on Rue Saint-Honoré.

• 1771

  Hôtel Meurice de Calais opens

  [1]Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org

  Charles-Augustin Meurice establishes a coach inn in Calais aimed particularly at English travelers.

Ultra-luxury Parisian palace hotel combining historic French design, personalized service, haute cuisine and cultural prestige.

• Accommodation · 1815

  Luxury rooms and suites

  The hotel offers approximately 160 rooms and suites decorated around a refined Louis XVI-inspired aesthetic. The accommodation range includes individually styled rooms, high-end suites and historically significant spaces such as the former Royal Suite associated with Salvador Dalí and King Alfonso XIII. Guest service, location, architectural detail and access to the hotel's dining and concierge environment are central to the offering.

• Fine dining

  Restaurant Le Meurice

  The hotel's principal restaurant overlooks the Tuileries Garden and represents its haute-cuisine proposition. It has been led by prominent chefs including Yannick Alléno and Alain Ducasse and is associated with Michelin recognition. The restaurant combines formal French hospitality with an interior setting designed to express the hotel's classical architectural identity.

• Restaurant

  Le Dali

  Le Dali is a distinctive dining space located beneath a large canvas designed by Ara Starck. Its scale, visual centerpiece and connection to the Starck refurbishment give it a more contemporary artistic character than the hotel's formal classical salons, while it remains part of the luxury hotel dining offer.

• Bar

  Bar 228

  Bar 228 is the hotel's cocktail and lounge venue, furnished with leather armchairs and dark woodwork. It extends Le Meurice's hospitality proposition beyond overnight stays, offering an intimate setting for drinks and informal meetings within the historic property.

• 2013

  Change in restaurant leadershipOther

  Background

  Yannick Alléno resigned from his role at Restaurant Le Meurice after leading its kitchen.

  Action taken

  Alain Ducasse was appointed head chef.

  Aftermath

  The appointment maintained the restaurant's association with internationally recognized haute cuisine.

  Source

• 2007

  Historic restoration and infrastructure modernizationStrategy

  Background

  The hotel required further technical modernization while preserving its Louis XVI decorative identity and heritage features.

  Action taken

  A refurbishment program involving Philippe Starck, Franka Holtmann, Jean-Loup Roubert and Nicolas Papamiltiades restored decoration, revised reception areas, moved the main entrance and added concealed heating and cooling infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  The work reinforced Le Meurice's positioning as a contemporary luxury hotel operating within a historic Parisian setting.

  Source

1. 1Le Meuriceen.wikipedia.org