The Plaza Athénée, haute couture palace

It was almost never called that. In April 1913, "Le Plaza" was due to open its doors. For owner Émile Armbruster, there was no way around it: his establishment had to open at the same time as the Champs-Élysées theater. The inauguration is a day of celebration in Paris. But nothing goes according to plan. "The name Plaza hadn't been registered," says Laurence Bloch, manager of the Plaza Athénée Paris for 25 years. Émile Armbruster panics. " I'm supposed to open tomorrow, but I still don't have a name," he says to himself.

Already the owner of a hotel in the 9ᵉ arrondissement, christened "L'Athénée", he opts for simplicity: at 25 avenue Montaigne, it will be the Plaza Athénée (the second part of the name already belonging to him).

This word association had no connection with Greece and no particular significance, but it enabled the hotel to be inaugurated as planned, in 1913.

A women's hotel

In 1917, the building was enlarged with the purchase of the mansion next door. Red geraniums hanging from the windows adorned the front of the Plaza Athénée, under blinds of the same color. A signature of the Parisian palace, these flowers were spurred on by Jean Gabin. During his romance with Marlène Dietrich, who lived opposite the Plaza Athénée, he asked for red roses to be installed across the entire façade, opposite her apartments. "But the general manager couldn't install new roses every day. So he decided to install geraniums all along the façade. at the time, "geraniums weren't chic at all, they were considered concierge flowers", but the red caused a sensation and a love affair was born between this color and the Plaza Athénée.

This façade is omnipresent in Christian Dior's fashion shots. The designer spent a lot of time at the palace. "When he saw the very elegant clientele, he said to himself that he wanted the same clientele for his boutique. So he decided to set up shop nearby, at 30 avenue Montaigne", says Laurence Bloch.

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His models stayed at the Plaza, and many photo shoots were organized in front of the hotel's façade. One of her most famous pieces, "The Bar Suit", was inspired by the uniforms worn by the Relais Plaza bar staff. From now on, the Plaza Athénée will be based on five words that define it as much as haute-couture: signature, made-to-measure, precise, sublime and rare.

The hotel of haute-couture, it is also the hotel of chandeliers, present in every room. "The carpet in the entrance hall is the reflection of the chandelier on the floor," explains Laurence Bloch.

The establishment closed for renovation in 2013, before reopening a year later. "We acquired the three adjoining buildings and wanted to link them together while harmonizing the whole aesthetically," explains Laurence Bloch. The rounded lines and vaulted ceilings gave the architects a feminine feel. The decor, mostly in classic Haussmann style, coexists with art deco elements, visible notably in the Le Relais Plaza restaurant as well as in the rooms and suites on the 7ᵉ and 8ᵉ floors.

100 years of anecdotes

Today, the Plaza Athénée boasts 154 rooms and 54 suites. Guests, often grandchildren or even great-grandchildren of former customers, come especially during major Parisian events: fashion week, the Roland Garros tournament, soccer matches, but also during art-related gatherings organized in the capital.

At the Plaza Athénée, each customer has his or her own detailed cardex. These include Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Steven Spielberg, Jermaine Jackson... "These cardexes retrace the customer's history," explains the director. "We know when he came, which room he went to, what he ate... All his preferences are gathered in a document to improve our welcome. Serve him tea if we know he likes it. Make a note of allergies, etc. In short, tailor-made stays."

Legend has it, for example, that Alfred Hitchcock demanded a room on the second floor, for fear of fire. Michael Jackson, meanwhile, is said to have used a laundry cart to leave the hotel discreetly.

Certain suites have been designed around specific themes. These include the Haute Couture suite, the Musicians' suite and the "Escape Game" suite, a nod to the spy Mata Hari, arrested in February 1917 while staying at the Plaza Athénée.

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to mark the hotel's 100th anniversary, a sealed suitcase was buried beneath the hotel. Inside, a front-page copy of the Figaro newspaper of April 20, 1913, announcing the opening of the Plaza Athénée, the silver whistle of the first valet, an iPad, a bottle of 1913... "Theidea is that, in 50 or 100 years' time, if the general manager feels like it, he can open the suitcase," smiles Laurence Bloch.

Today, the establishment is being modernized under the slogan "Once upon a time... the palace of tomorrow". The bar was redecorated a few years ago. "It's a trendy bar with a DJ on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings", says the manager. This evolution has helped diversify the clientele, "and attract younger people". Once a resolutely Parisian hotel, the Plaza Athénée has now established itself as an emblematic haute couture address.

After 22 years in charge of the kitchens, Alain Ducasse will hand over to Jean Imbert in 2021, winner of the Top Chef TV show in 2012. His gastronomic restaurant pays homage to the great French tradition, inspired by Auguste Escoffier and Antonin Carême: generous cuisine, served on large tables adorned with silverware.

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Opposite the gastronomic establishment's kitchens, a small room catches the eye: the cabinet des conspirateurs. This is where those who do not wish to be seen dine.