Sofia Rossi
Hotel de Crillon is the Paris grand hotel for travellers who want history they can sleep inside, a Place de la Concorde address and service that feels residential rather than theatrical. The building was commissioned by Louis XV in 1758, has operated as a hotel since 1909, and reopened under Rosewood on 5 July 2017 after a four year renovation that reduced it to 78 rooms and 46 suites, including 10 signature suites. It holds France’s Palace distinction, awarded in 2018, and it suits couples, design minded travellers and anyone marking a major occasion. Travellers who prefer a larger spa, a more fashion led scene or lower rates for the same arrondissement should compare its Palace rivals carefully before booking, because the Crillon’s premium is for heritage, proportion and calm, not for scale.
What are the quick facts about Hotel de Crillon?
- Address: 10 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
- Building: Commissioned by Louis XV in 1758, designed by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel
- Hotel history: A hotel since 1909, and residence of the Crillon family before that
- Current operator: Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, since the reopening on 5 July 2017
- Renovation: 2013 to 2017, led by architect Richard Martinet, with interiors involving Aline Asmar d’Amman and Karl Lagerfeld designing Les Grands Appartements
- Rooms and suites: 78 rooms and 46 suites in total, including 10 signature suites
- Distinction: Palace distinction awarded in 2018
- Dining and wellness: Restaurants including L’Ecrin, the bar Les Ambassadeurs, and the Sense spa
- Rates: Rates vary by date and room type, so check the official Rosewood site for a specific stay rather than relying on a headline figure
Why does the building itself matter so much here?
Few hotels anywhere carry this depth of documented history in their walls. The neoclassical facade on Place de la Concorde was commissioned by Louis XV in 1758 and designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the architect behind the square itself. The building later became the Paris residence of the Crillon family, whose name it still carries, before opening as a hotel in 1909. That sequence matters because the hotel does not imitate a palace. It is a surviving piece of eighteenth century Paris that has been adapted, carefully, for modern guests.
The classification of its historic salons and facades shapes everything inside. Public rooms retain their proportions, gilding and listed detail, while the renovation inserted the plumbing, soundproofing, technology and subterranean wellness space that an eighteenth century structure originally lacked. Guests who care about architecture will notice the difference between this and a newer luxury hotel decorated in a classical style: here the classical style is the original fabric, not a theme.
What changed in the Rosewood renovation?
The hotel closed in 2013 and reopened on 5 July 2017 under Rosewood management after a renovation led by architect Richard Martinet. The inventory shrank deliberately to 78 rooms and 46 suites, including 10 signature suites, a figure Rosewood’s own press material phrases as 78 rooms, 36 suites and 10 signature suites. Larger average room sizes were the point: the renovation traded key count for space, bathrooms and residential layouts that suit longer stays.
The design credits explain the hotel’s layered look. Aline Asmar d’Amman directed key heritage spaces, other leading French designers handled individual restaurants, salons and room categories, and Karl Lagerfeld designed Les Grands Appartements, the pair of signature suites that remain the hotel’s most discussed accommodation. A new courtyard, a basement level Sense spa with a pool, and reworked restaurants were carved out of a listed building without altering its famous facade. In 2018, a year after reopening, the hotel received the Palace distinction from Atout France, the official French rating that sits above five stars and is reserved for hotels judged exceptional on location, history, service and facilities.
What are the rooms and signature suites actually like?
The standard rooms and suites follow a restrained Parisian residential style: pale stone and wood, tailored upholstery, large bathrooms and views that divide between the internal courtyard, Paris rooftops and, for the premium categories, Place de la Concorde itself. Because the inventory is small for a Palace hotel, categories sell out unevenly, and the practical advice is to book the view and layout wanted rather than assuming an upgrade will appear at check in.
The 10 signature suites are the headline product. They include suites associated with the building’s history, notably the Marie-Antoinette Suite, linked to the queen’s connection with the building, and Les Grands Appartements by Karl Lagerfeld, which pair grand salon proportions with contemporary, monochrome inflected interiors and large terrace views over the Concorde. These suites suit travellers celebrating a milestone, hosting small private gatherings in room, or simply prioritising space and view over every other consideration. Families should ask the hotel directly which signature and connecting configurations fit their party, because in a converted historic building, layouts vary more than in a purpose built hotel.
How do the restaurants, bar and spa shape a stay?
Dining is a central part of the Crillon proposition rather than an add on. L’Ecrin is the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant, an intimate dining room serving contemporary French tasting menus, and it should be reserved well ahead, including by hotel guests, because its seat count is small. More relaxed options within the hotel cover brasserie style dining and afternoon tea in the winter garden spaces, giving residents a credible full day of eating without leaving the building, which matters in winter or on a short stay.
Les Ambassadeurs, the bar set in a grand salon with painted ceilings, is one of the defining rooms of the hotel and a destination for cocktails even for travellers staying elsewhere, subject to availability. Below ground, the Sense spa provides a pool, treatment rooms and fitness facilities in the space created during the renovation. The spa is elegant rather than vast, so travellers whose trip centres on wellness facilities should weigh that against Paris hotels with larger spa complexes, discussed below.
Who does Hotel de Crillon suit best?
The Crillon suits travellers who rank a sense of place first. A couple on a honeymoon or anniversary who will actually use a Concorde view terrace, a design or history enthusiast who can name the architect, or a repeat Paris visitor who has done the large palace hotels and wants something more intimate: all of these travellers match the hotel’s strengths. Business travellers who value discretion and the eighth arrondissement location between the Champs-Elysees, the Tuileries and the Faubourg Saint-Honore shopping streets also fit well.
It also suits guests who prefer their luxury quiet. Service is formal in polish but personal in scale, the public rooms feel like salons rather than a scene, and the small key count means the lobby never resembles an event space. Readers building a first Paris trip around a stay here can pair it with the neighbourhood by neighbourhood planning in our first time Paris four day itinerary, which covers the Louvre, Tuileries and Champs-Elysees area that surrounds the hotel.
Who should look elsewhere, and at which alternatives?
Travellers who want a bigger spa and pool scene, a more overtly fashionable crowd or a Right Bank fashion house atmosphere should compare Le Bristol Paris and Hotel Plaza Athenee. Le Bristol, on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, is known for its garden, larger wellness offer and old school Parisian grandeur. Plaza Athenee, on Avenue Montaigne, leans into haute couture, with its Dior connection and red geranium balconies aimed at fashion focused travellers. Cheval Blanc Paris, by the Seine near the Louvre in the former Samaritaine building, is the contemporary alternative: newer, more design forward and river facing, suiting travellers who prefer modern architecture to eighteenth century salons.
Price sensitive travellers should also look elsewhere, or at least book with open eyes. The Crillon does not publish a single stable nightly rate, rates vary significantly by season, events and room type, and the honest guidance is to check the official Rosewood site for the exact dates rather than trusting an aggregator headline. Travellers for whom the rate is a stretch will enjoy Paris more in an excellent five star hotel below Palace level, with the savings spent on dining. For a transatlantic comparison of what a landmark grand hotel does differently by city, see our guide to The Plaza Hotel in New York.
What are the most common questions about Hotel de Crillon?
When did Hotel de Crillon reopen under Rosewood?
The hotel reopened on 5 July 2017 after closing in 2013 for a four year renovation led by architect Richard Martinet. Rosewood has managed the hotel since that reopening, and the property received the Palace distinction in 2018.
How many rooms and suites does the hotel have?
The hotel has 78 rooms and 46 suites in total, including 10 signature suites. Rosewood press material describes the same inventory as 78 rooms, 36 suites and 10 signature suites, counting the signature suites separately.
How much does a night at Hotel de Crillon cost?
There is no single reliable figure to quote, because rates vary by date, season and room category and change over time. Travellers should check the official Rosewood site for their specific dates and compare the total including taxes and breakfast terms before booking.
What is the Palace distinction?
The Palace distinction is an official French rating administered through Atout France that sits above the standard five star classification. It recognises hotels considered exceptional for their location, history, comfort, service and facilities. Hotel de Crillon received it in 2018.
Which Paris hotels are the closest alternatives?
Le Bristol suits travellers wanting a larger garden and spa feel, Plaza Athenee suits fashion focused travellers on Avenue Montaigne, and Cheval Blanc suits travellers who prefer a contemporary, river facing design hotel. All three sit in a similar Palace tier, so the choice is mainly about style and location.
