 The outstanding Plaza Athenee Hotel Paris is situated in the exclusive Avenue Montaigne in the heart of Paris. It is an ideal starting point for visiting the famous sightseeing attractions, such as the Haute Couture shops, the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triumph. Links to the public transport system are only 200m from the hotel. Charles de Gaulle airport is located within 26 km of the hotel. The nearest Metro station to Plaza Athenee is Alma.
The grand Parisian hotel offers a unique combination of classicism and modernity, largely valued as prolific in the fashion and political world. Guests are offered stunning interiors, fittings and services of the highest standard. Guests are offered a total of 188 rooms, which are spread throughout 8 floors. The specialities include the gourmet restaurant Plaza Athenee, the grill restaurant Le Relais Plaza, the cosy bar Le Bar du Plaza Athenee, the fantastic summer restaurant La Cour Jardin (depending on the weather) in addition to a number of lounges. Car parking facilities are to be found outside of the hotel.
Combining 18th Century elegance and Art Deco cool, this Belle Epoque hotel may be a classic but it is no museum. Even in its youth, in the 1930s, the Plaza Athenee was equal parts classical French style and contemporary hipster hangout — the likes of Josephine Baker and Rudolph Valentino could be seen among the patrons of the hotel bar. Today, though a comprehensive multi-million-dollar renovation has updated the surface of the hotel, its basic character remains: that of traditional opulence side-by-side with fashionable modernity.
The Relais Plaza restaurant is still authentically Art Deco, and the Galerie des Gobelins counts silk curtains and ornate chandeliers among its antique touches. In stark contrast are the new haute-cuisine restaurant Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee, and the newly renovated Bar of the Plaza, both designed by Patrick Jouin, former Philippe Starck protege. The Bar is an avant-garde nightspot, with its glowing iceberg bar top and oversized, inhabitable paintings, and is once again the place to be seen in Paris for international celebrities. The restaurant, transplanted from its traditional home at 59 Poincare, is a design experience as well, combining strikingly modern elements with Louis XIV- and XV-inspired details, yet never resorting to the sort of wacky post-modernism that would detract from the cuisine.
Each room affords a magnificent view of inner courtyard or the Avenue Montaigne. Decorated with two different styles, in a French classical style from Louis XV/ Louis XVI and the other in an Art Deco style. They also include a marble bathroom with a hairdryer, bathrobe and slippers. In addition, a direct dial telephone, satellite/cable TV, DSL Internet access, a minibar/ fridge, a video recorder, hi-fi stereo with a CD player, air conditioning and a hire safe.
Those wishing to relax may enjoy a sauna, steam bath and take a massage. Sports enthusiasts may work out in the hotel's gym.
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(5 stars)