Get into a taxi in Paris and tell the driver to take you to the Four Seasons and you will probably be met with a blank stare. This could be partly because you asked in English, but most likely it is because the hotel is so well known by its other name – George v – that an alternate simply doesn’t register.

By Thomas Jones

But a Four Seasons it is and a Four Seasons it has been since 1999 when the new owner, a Saudi prince, completed a US$125 million upgrade and restored the Grande Dame to the original beauty of her youth. Both the original Art Deco detailing and the 17th-century tapestries were restored, the bas-reliefs were regilded, and the marble-floor mosaics were rebuilt tile by tile to recreate the style and opulence of the original building. At the same time it was brought into the 21st century with the latest state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure. This stunning restoration by architect Richard Martinent and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, has resulted in a breathtakingly beautiful work of art of 245 guest rooms, including 59 suites, 30 of which have their own private balconies and terraces looking out over the rooftops of one of the most fashionable quarters of Paris.

The George V, (George ‘Cinq’ en Français) was originally opened in 1928 near the end of the Roaring Twenties, a time of unprecedented wealth and prosperity unheard of up to that time, and it immediately set a new standard of what could be expected at the highest levels in luxury. Its clean, crisp lines were atypical of the period and the purity of the white stone Art Deco façade, with minimal architectural ornamentation, established the theme of simplicity and elegance prevalent throughout all elements of the design. Quickly dubbed “modern French style” by the Paris-based Anglo-American press of the 1920’s, the Hotel’s architecture and décor drew admirers from all over the international design world.

This famous venue was described in early press coverage as, “conceived in the spirit of modern and elegant luxury, and endowed with the latest technological innovations.” At that time, these innovations included the installation in each guest room of a telephone with both outside and hotel service lines; fitted closets; extra-wide corridors on guest floors to eliminate luggage grid-lock; fire alarms; and an elaborate dumbwaiter system to expedite delivery of hot food from the kitchen to guest rooms. Suites also had to be fitted with two bathrooms, allowing two people to take a bath at the same time so as to be ready to go down to dinner together. It was probably not a problem if they were French and were used to bathing together, (and actually probably enjoyed it, causing them to be often late for table), but in polite English and American society it was a social necessity.

The original hotel was designed around an interior courtyard fronting on Avenue George V, where the structure was kept to a single storey while eight stories were created on the other three sides and two more wings were added at a later date. The building’s foundations go deep into the site of former stone quarries which were used to build the Arc de Triomphe and the Trocadero, and this has given the hotel a very envious locale for a wine cellar where one enormous stone slab forms the ceiling and stone walls provide solid anchors for the deeply riveted wine racks. These hold a staggering 45,000 bottles of wine, including 100 different varieties of Champagne that quench the thirsts of their well-heeled clientele who come to enjoy the culinary delights on offer in the hotel; from room service right through to the Michelin Starred Le Cinq restaurant.

To this day guests continue to be awed by the historical grandeur of the ground floor lobby, courtyard and public spaces. Not that the marble columns and floors or the gardens are any more opulent than other grand hotels, these other establishments simply lack the history and the ghosts, living and dead, that grace George V’s hallowed halls. Lords, ladies, kings and queens, Stones, Beatles and Hollywood royalty alike have all trodden these marble tiles since its opening.Eisenhower even used it as his headquarters after the liberation of Paris as he fought to end World War II. Less mentioned, I am sure, is the time spent in residence of more than just a few German generals who would have entertained and enjoyed many a bottle of Champagne during their not so brief, five-year stay.

The convenience is also second to none. Situated in the heart of the city, all one’s shopping and dining needs are easily accessible, with taxis right outside and the Metro just up the street. But, this being Paris, the only real way to get around is on foot, otherwise you miss out on seeing the most beautiful attraction of them all, the Parisians themselves. And after a long day of eating, drinking and being merry in the City of Light, there is nothing more satisfying than getting into a Paris taxi and simply uttering, “George Cinq, s’il vous plait.”

George V
31 Avenue George V
75008 Paris. France
Tel: +33 1 49 52 70 00
www.fourseasons.com/paris/

Related posts:

1. Is There Any Better Meal Than Brunch? The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok
   It’s Sunday morning and you are feeling a bit jaded after Saturday’s late night festivities. you are hungry and You...
2. Imagining Paris in Bistro Baron Jakarta
   Get one step closer to Paris in Bistro Baron. VE HANDOJO shared his ‘Parisienne’ mini adventure in Jakarta, and how...
3. Four Seasons Tokyo: Wide Open Spaces
   Big cities by their very nature lack decent amounts of open green space. Sure, New York has its Central Park,...
4. The Belle Époque: The Landmark London
   The industrial revolution and the newly-invented steam train offered the emerging English middle class in the 19th century an opportunity...
5. Four Seasons of Elegance: Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta
   In not so many years, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta has become a favorite place for brunch, spas, parties, and simply...