ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD

Remember the old adage that all that glitters is not gold? Well, you can forget it when it comes to the Hotel de Crillon. Standing in the very heart of Paris in perhaps the most famous square in the world, the de Crillon is a majestic palace which can trace its history back to the middle of the eighteenth century. In fact whenever anything of interest has happened in France - be it revolutions or the signing of the treaty of American Independence in 1778, it has tended to take place if not within the walls of the de Crillon, then within less than a stone’s throw outside. All of which makes it a rather safe bet for an exciting (if somewhat pricey) stay.

It all began with King Louis XV. For t’was he who asked the greatest architect of the day, Jacques-Ange Gabriel, to create two facades on the Place de la Concorde, thus producing one of the finest architectural masterpieces of the eighteenth century. Completed in 1785, the mansion was acquired by the Count of Crillon, descendent of the ‘brave Crillon’, comrade in arms to Henry IV, and his spouse Marie-Charlotte de Corbon. Unfortunately for its proud new owners, however, it was seized during the French revolution. You might say that the Hotel happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, because the Place de la Concorde, upon which it stands, was the principle staging ground of the great revolution itself. The original statue of Louis XV was promptly removed to make way for something more in keeping with the spirit of the times - a statue representing liberty. In due course that too was removed, replaced by the world-famous Obelisk of Luxor. This 3300 year old obelisk, more than 75 feet high and weighing some 220 tons, was presented by Sultan Ali Mehmet to Charles X of France in 1831. Following an arduous journey, the hieroglyphic-covered obelisk, originally a tribute to the sun god of ancient Egypt, now stands in the centre of the Place de la Concorde where it aligns the perspective from the Louvre Museum right the way down the to the Arc de Triomphe.

During the course of the last eighty years the inimitable style and elegance of the hotel has acted as a magnet to world figures in every field, the de Crillon having become a Paris residence for leaders and celebrities from around the globe. With Winston Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt, Emperor Hirohito and King George V - to name-drop but a few - amongst a list of politicians and heads of state that reads like a Who’s Who of twentieth century history. In fact the hotel’s location and standards (posh? - no, much more than merely posh) have made it a favourite with tycoons, from the American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to the Italian media baron Silvio Belusconi. The hotel has hosted not only those who have shaped the course of world history but also those who have entertained it, from Orson Welles, Jesse Norman and Charlie Chaplin to, more recently, Madonna.

Walk around the de Crillon for a while and you might well feel that you have had your input of culture for the day. For the three salons on the first floor have hosted meetings from the signing of the treaty of American Independence to the haute couture and international seminars of today. The first of these rooms, "Le Salon des Aigles" is beautifully decorated with French style Point d’Hongrie parquet wood floor, Aubusson carpets, Bohemian crystal and gold leaf Wedgewood china of extraordinary size and elegance. The four corners of the salon are decorated with medallions depicting Fortitude, Truth, Wisdom and Abundance - each flanked by soaring eagles. Then there is "Le Salon Marie-Antoinette", which opens onto a beautiful classical terrace and overlooks the Place de la Concorde. So named because legend has it that the Queen took music lessons there, as suggested by the eighteenth century Gobelins tapestry "The Singing Lesson".

All right. What about the grub? Delicious - but start saving your centimes now. But then again what else would you expect from Les Ambassadeurs, the principle gastronomic restaurant of the Hotel and considered amongst the finest in Paris, meriting two stars in the prestigious Guide Michelin and with an extensive list of no less than 500 wines? The combination of Dominique Bouchet’s innovative haute cuisine menu, elegant decor, widely spaced tables and exemplary service, make the restaurant a favourite for that special occasion. There’s no escape from the history though. Look up and you will see a magnificent ceiling recently renovated by a group of artists from the Historical Monuments Association - the frescoes surrounding it the masterpiece of the artist Moreau Norest and representing the construction of the de Crillon in the eighteenth century. Look back down again and you might well find preserved truffled foie gras with black cherry jelly on your plate. Followed, say, by pigeon roasted with coriander, small turnips and onion essence. And if, after the cheese, you have any room left - go for the chef’s creation of puffed almond macaroon flavoured with licorice, red and black berries with kirsch. Then promise yourself that the diet will begin on Monday. And then get ready for the biggest shock of all - what you have just eaten (not including wine) will have cost you 665 francs which, even with a strong pound, is a pretty penny, so to speak.

Now, at the risk of churning out a Party Political Broadcast for the de Crillon Party, what is marvelous about the hotel (positively the last of the Paris’s ‘grand’ hotels still privately owned and managed by a French family) is that the building once constructed at the order of the King of France and occupied by those at the centre of French society now plays host to those at the centre of the world stage - no hotel better exemplifying the Parisian mastery of art of life.

That, then, is the good news. The bad news is that (surprise, surprise..) it is extremely expensive. A double room will cost you 3200 francs for the night (add another 300 during high season) - and if you really want to go mad you can always plump for the Leonard Bernstein penthouse suite - yours for just for 16,500 francs per night.

So go ahead. Indulge yourself. Wrap yourself up in triple-thick white bathrooms; luxuriate in a lavishly decorated marble bathroom - its enough to make you feel like a King or Queen - if only for the day.

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