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Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Paris, France · Dorchester Collection · Apex Luxury
Christian Dior opened his couture house next door in 1947, turning Avenue Montaigne and the Plaza Athénée into the front row of Paris fashion. The hotel itself debuted on 20 April 1913; Alain Ducasse later chose it for his haute cuisine restaurant and earned three Michelin stars there in 2001. Signature red awnings and geranium window boxes still mark 25 Avenue Montaigne, which took France's Palace distinction in 2012 and reopened in 2014 after a 200-million-euro expansion under Dorchester Collection.
- 208 rooms
- Opened 1913
- Neighborhood: Triangle d'Or
- Rooms from 410 sq ft (38 m²)
- Architect: Charles Lefebvre and Louis Duhayon
- Interiors: Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku (bar, recent); Bruno Moinard
About Hôtel Plaza Athénée
- Alain Ducasse took over the hotel's fine-dining restaurant and secured three Michelin stars at Plaza Athénée in 2001.
- The hotel opened on 20 April 1913 at 25 Avenue Montaigne; first manager Emile Armbruster chose the Plaza Athénée name.
- France awarded it the official Palace distinction in 2012, and a 200-million-euro project completed in August 2014 added rooms, suites, and a new ballroom.
- Its facade is defined by red canvas awnings over every window and geranium window boxes, with Art Deco rooms on the seventh and eighth floors.
- Entry-level rooms start at 410 sq ft (38 m²).
History
Hôtel Plaza Athénée was built in phases between 1902 and 1909 and opened in 1913 under the Plaza Athénée name after a naming dispute forced an added suffix. The hotel was modernized in 1933, reopened in 1936, and later resumed operations after wartime occupation; it has since undergone multiple significant refurbishments, including major public-space updates in 2014 and Art Deco-floor renovations in 2018. In the Dorchester Collection era it has remained one of Paris’s best-known palace hotels, with its dining and interiors continually refreshed while preserving the historic façade and landmark public rooms. Its stature is tied to both its couture-adjacent Avenue Montaigne address and its long association with Parisian luxury hospitality.
The setting
Hôtel Plaza Athénée presides over 25 Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement, at the epicenter of Paris's haute couture axis. Originally the Allée des Veuves in the 18th century, Avenue Montaigne was transformed in 1947 when Christian Dior opened his couture house at number 30 and launched the New Look, drawing Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Prada in his wake. The Eiffel Tower is 18 minutes on foot, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées moments away, and the Seine steps beyond — a position at the intersection of fashion, culture, and Parisian grandeur that has made the address synonymous with the luxury aesthetic of the Golden Triangle. 3 km from Louvre Museum.
Restaurants and bars
- Le Relais Plaza — Restaurant
Amenities
- Michelin fine dining
- spa
- pool
- Sauna
- Steam room
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Three Keys (2026)
- World's 50 Best Hotels (2026)
- World's 50 Best Hotels 51-100 (2025)
- La Liste World's Best Hotels (2023)
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