PARIS.- Mythical Parisian palace, distinguished by international guides, Le Crillon is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world.

Internationally renowned hotel since 1909, this historic residence, built in 1775 and acquired in 1788 by the Comte de Crillon, has continually welcomed heads of state and celebrities, from cinema and fashion.

Symbol of the French art de vivre, Le Crillon has entrusted the sale of its furniture, elements of interior decoration, and a selection of its fine wines and spirits to Artcurial, Briest– Poulain – F. Tajan, premier French auction house.

Five days of exhibitions (from April 12th – 16th, 2013) and five days of sales (April 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd 2013), led under the hammer of François Tajan and Stéphane Aubert, will take place at the prestigious hotel.

The public exhibitions will take place in the ensemble of salons and reception rooms, as well as in certain suites and rooms.

Furniture, lighting, silver, porcelain, tapestries, trimmings...All of the decorative arts will be represented. The pieces will bear the name “Hotel de Crillon”.

Certain pieces will be personalized by artists, couturiers and decorators, and will be sold to benefit charitable associations.

This auction sale is part of the important renovation project to be led by Le Crillon until 2015.

The renovation will be led by some of the greatest decorators and French craftsmen of the moment. It will enhance the noblesse and elegance of the site while conserving the atmosphere of an 18th century hôtel particulier, in which many salons and suits are classified Historical Monuments.

As a new chapter opens in the history of the famous Parisian palace, let's look back at this unique building, every stone of which tells the proud history of France.

An elegant façade commissioned by Louis XV
In 1775, the land behind the façade built by architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel on the order of Louis XV, initially due to house the Paris Mint, was divided into four plots and sold to private individuals. One went to architect Louis-François Trouard, Intendant-General and Controller of the King's Buildings, who built a mansion on the site, leased to the Duke of Aumont then, in 1782, to the Spanish ambassador, the Count of Azanda.

A sumptuous interior
The Hôtel de Crillon owes its sumptuous decoration to its first tenant, the Duke of Aumont, assisted by the architects Pierre-Adrien Pâris and Trouard. Artists including Broccardi, Mézière, Radelle, Bélanger and Duplessis worked on the design of the Salon des Aigles – superbly decorated with a ceiling worked in gold leaf and herringbone parquet floors. The Salon des Batailles, decorated in grey and gold, was given a Versailles parquet floor and a coffered ceiling.

The private mansion of the Crillon family from 1788 to 1906
In 1788, the private mansion was purchased by the Count and Countess of Crillon, to whom it owes its name. Having been seized during the Revolution, the Hôtel de Crillon was transformed into a furnished hotel under the name of the Hôtel de Courlande. It was returned to its legitimate owners in 1812 and remained the family’s property until 1906.

The Hôtel de Crillon opened on 11 March 1909
In 1906, the Duchess of Polignac sold it to the Société du Louvre – later Taittinger – which also bought two adjoining buildings in the Rue Boissy-d’Anglas, in order to transform them all into a luxury hotel.

The Hôtel de Crillon was built to welcome the ambassadors extraordinary of the 18th century. When it was transformed into a palace, its historic salons accommodated all of the international diplomacy of the time and, among others, the signing of the creation of the League of Nations in 1919.

The Hôtel de Crillon welcomed the British, followed by the American military staff headquarters during the First World War, and was then occupied by the Germans during the Second World War. In August 1944, during the fighting for the liberation of Paris, the façade was seriously damaged, notably a collapsed column from the colonnade.

After the liberation of Paris, General Eisenhower moved the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces into the Hôtel de Crillon until 1945. The diplomats of the State Department used it as their temporary residence.

Further internal work was carried out between 1982 and 1985 under the supervision of architect Jean-Lou Robert, architect of the Paris Opera House and interior designer Sonia Rykiel, assisted by the Historic Monuments department, since the whole of the Hôtel de Crillon is a listed monument.

The Taittinger group and the Société du Louvre were sold in 2005 to the American group Starwood Capital which, in 2010, sold the Hôtel de Crillon to a member of the Saudi royal family.

A palace at the heart of contemporary history
The refinement of its decor, the terraces and drawing rooms and suites giving onto the Place de la Concorde, have made the palace a favourite among world leaders, whether in the world of politics, arts or entertainment, from President Roosevelt to Madonna.

Marie-Antoinette took music lessons in the first floor drawing room which now bears her name, while American composer Leonard Bernstein found inspiration there. What was once the private chapel of the Crillon family became a royal suite when it was transformed into a luxury hotel and is now highly sought-after by the fashion elite who use it as the setting for their photo shoots.

And while the building was designed to host ambassadors extraordinary in the 18th century, the ground-floor room which bears this name, famous for its ten varieties of marble, its wainscoting, tiling, and its view of the Concorde, now accommodates a gastronomic restaurant (1 Michelin star), the debutante ball and the Fémina prize.