Luxury hotel sells off its furniture

A LUXURY Paris hotel built in 1928 to welcome the future Edward VIII is selling off all its furniture in a bid to freshen its image and gain five stars.

The Prince de Galles (Prince of Wales), whose former guests include Winston Churchill, Marlene Dietrich and Elvis Presley, is closing for a year for a complete refurbishment.

Until last year, four stars (which the hotel has) was France’s top rating, but five are now available if hotels meet exacting new criteria.

Tomorrow there is a sale at the hotel itself of all its professional equipment: kitchen items, safes, baths, beds, curtains, bars, fitness machines etc. Then on February 26-27 auctioneers Lasseron are selling off furniture such as arm chairs, chests of drawers, lamps and mirrors.

Owners Sharwood Hotels and Resorts said in a statement that it was “a one-off chance to acquire a piece of history of this art déco hotel”.

The hotel is smartening up to try to keep pace with several new glamorous places to stay in the capital: the Royal Monceau (owned by Raffles International) and the Shangri-La, just opened, and coming up this year and next, the Mandarin Oriental and then the Majestic Peninsula.

Renovation work will be overseen by Pierrre-Yves Rochon, who worked on the Shangri-La and several other prestigious hotel projects, as well as restaurant designs for Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon.

Photo:Sharwood Hotels and Resorts