Hotel Lancaster has a private luxurious and elegant residence atmosphere, a quiet retreat right in the heart of the city, near the Champs-Elysees. The building dates from 1889, when it was built as a private town house for Santiago del Castillo, a Spanish nobleman. In 1925, hotelier Emile Wolf bought the house and converted it into a hotel. The original antiques and furniture he used in the 1930's to decorate the hotel can still be found in the rooms and public spaces today. His collection of clocks, paintings by Boris Pastoukhoff, who had to part with 80 of his portraits to cover the hotel bill, and Eastern-India porcelain pieces were retained when the hotel underwent a five-months renovation in 1996. Grace Leo-Andrieu redecorated the hotel by combining the French classic style with a modern touch. She used tones of lavender, ivory and jade, added Chinese brush paintings and transformed the garden into a Zen retreat.

The 49 rooms and 11 suites are covered in silk and individually decorated. The top-floor rooms have private balconies overlooking Montmartre or the Eiffel Tower. The Marlene Dietrich suite, named after the actress who was a patron in the '30s, is a simphony of lilac, her favourite color, and features a charcoal sketch of Marlene. Dietrich was not the only famous guest, as the Lancaster was visited by other worldwide known stars as Noel Coward, Grace Kelly or Greta Garbo. The marble bathrooms are in Art Deco-style and feature African iroko wood. Amenities include wireless Internet access, air-conditioning, phone, satellite TV, DVD player, safe, mini bar. Prices start at 470 euros for a standard room.

The restaurant La Table du Lancaster is overseen by three-star Michelin chef Michel Troisgros who devised menus themed around some of his favourite ingredients: tomatoes, herbs, lemons and cheeses. The Japanese garden becomes spectacular in the summer months and nothing is more pleasant than sipping on tea or having a light lunch in this Zen ambience.

7 rue de Berri, Paris 75008
Metro: George V, Franklin Roosevelt
Tel: 01-40-76-40-76
Fax: 01-40-76-40-00
Email: reservations@hotel-lancaster.fr
http://www.hotel-lancaster.fr