• France edition

Crillon 'palace' hotel auctions luxury items

Published: 22 Feb 2013 18:38 GMT+01:00 | Print version
Updated: 22 Feb 2013 18:38 GMT+01:00

Five-star Paris hotel Le Crillon is auctioning off 3,500 items from its world-famous collection of furnishings as it closes for temporary restoration work.

The 238-year-old luxury hotel situated on Place de la Concorde will be selling off furniture, lamps, silverware, porcelain, tapestries and lace.

Top of the wish list are Louis XV-style chests of drawers, Art déco armchairs, chairs by fashion designer Sonia Rykiel at €1,200 a piece, a bar created by sculptor César in 1982 worth up to €12,000 and a crystal console table by Philippe Starck valued up to €15,000.

The auction will allow people to “own – among the 3,500 proposed pieces – a piece of the dream of this unrivaled Parisian palace,” said Francois Tajan, co-president of Artcurial in a statement on Thursday.

The hotel, which charges €9,600 a night, will only retain essential furnishings.

“We’ll keep in particular some Baccarat chandeliers and the fountains from the conservatory of the Château de Versailles,” Sandrine Daban, a spokesperson for the hotel told AFP.

When the hotel reopens its doors in 2015 the owners hope to crown it a “palace”, a coveted title currently only held by twelve hotels in France, five of which are in Paris, including Le Bristol where football superstar, and latest addition to Paris Saint-Germain, David Beckham is currently staying.

Built in 1775, the building was bought by Count Crillon in 1778 and transformed into a hotel in 1909. It is currently owned by a Saudi prince following a sale in 2010.

During the renovation work, the hotel’s 360 employees will have the option of taking a voluntary redundancy or to continue working for the company with the possibility of temporary employment elsewhere.

The auction will take place between the 18th and the 22nd of April.

Sophie Inge (sophie.inge@thelocal.com)

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