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Feel Like a Queen, in Hotel de Crillon 女皇级的待遇—入住Hotel de Crillo
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Feel Like a Queen, in Hotel de Crillon
女皇级的待遇—入住Hotel de
Crillon
Chinese Version: Sophie
Liu English Version: Cecilia
In relating top hotels in
France, Hotel de Crillon should be atop the list of luxury palace
hotels－which are in a limited number－in Paris, either in terms of
history or of location. Overlooking the resplendent Palace de la
Concorde and the iconic obelisk, Hotel de Crillon is situated next
to the elegant Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore where a plethora of
high-end boutiques are assembled, and opposite the majestic
Assemblee Nationale in a distance. The hotel is in direct access to
the elegant Avenue des Champs-Elysees, and the famous Musee du
Louvre is within 5-minute walking distance.
Each day, Palace de la Concorde
is packed with tourists, and few of them won’t stop at Hotel de
Crillon, looking up to admire the splendor of the
building璫onstruction commenced in 1758－which houses the hotel.
Since the hotel opened its doors in 1909, numerous distinguished
guests―the royal families, luminaries in the show business and
government dignitaries―have stayed there, among whom we can name
King George V of the United Kingdom, Queen Sophia of Spain,
Japanese Emperor Hirohito, Winston Churchill, ex-US Presidents
Franklin Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and George Bush, as well as
Elisabeth Taylor, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and other
divas.
When news came that this
historic hotel would open the door to me, I was so delighted that I
could hardly put it into words. Standing before the facade of Hotel
de Crillon to watch posh sedan cars bearing Bentley, Rolls Royce,
Ferrari and other prestigious marques pull in and out is indeed an
exciting experience. Calling it a “museum for top cars” isn’t
too much an exaggeration. The front door is guarded by vigilant
bellboys and security staff who, on seeing I walk past them,
greeted me in a loud and polite tone, “Bonjour Madame!” It made
me feel like somebody.
In the capacious Lobby, the
most striking object that arrested my attention is the Winter
Garden (le Jardin d’Hiver), an eating spot overflowing with the
spirit of the Louis XV era. It has a marble floor, and the walls
are engraved with intricate patterns. Swaying chandelier and the
wine red sofas combine to revive the elegance of the French royal
court. Looking around, you seldom fail to notice those social
celebrities; on the day I checked in I recognized Thierry Henri,
and the renowned French football player was sitting in a chair at
the entrance of the Winter Garden.
In most cases, travelers have
to stand straight while the Front Desk staff is going through
check-in procedures. However, things are completely different in
Hotel de Crillon, where you can settle yourself comfortably in one
of the antique armchairs in front of the Front Desk, waiting for
the staff to come to you and service. Service is extended to the
smallest details, including inquiry about the name of the
newspaper/magazine you care to read that day.
Before reaching the
elevator―It is characteristically Parisian!―you must walk down a
corridor crowded with showcases of Boucheron, Cartier and other top
jewellery labels. What a world of jewellery! The elevator is at the
end of the corridor; in a corner, to be exact. In contrast to the
spacious, luxuriously appointed Lobby and corridor, it is so
tiny―accommodating up to four at a time―that it easily escape
your notice. The inside of the elevator is furnished with wooden
floor and glass-inlaid wooden walls. With those jewellery stands in
the front, it is hard to spot the elevator. However, elevators are
like that, in Paris; it is chic on the understated
side.
The elevator takes me to the
fifth floor. Walking through a quiet, clean and tidy corridor, past
a tasteful antique cabinet placed at the corner, I finally reached
a door; behind it is the suite I was going to stay. Push open the
door, and I found a duplex structure linked by a spiral wooden
staircase. The lower floor, lavishly appointed to echo the regal
opulence of the Lobby, is a sitting room. On top of the table are
flourishing red roses, a silver ice box containing a bottle of
Taittinger Champagne, and a bar of chocolate which holds a greeting
card signed by the hotel general manager.
Bedroom is upstairs, so is the
bathroom. Unlike the lower floor, the upper level exhibits tasteful
simplicity. It put me in mind of Arcadia, not to be disturbed until
I lifted the curtains covering the door-to-ceiling window and
looked out to appreciate the grandiose Eiffel Tower in a distance,
realizing that I was right in the heart of Paris.
It is quiet and peaceful in the
bedroom. On top of the bed head there hangs an ink-and-water
painting; the giant fountain on Palace de la Concorde is the object
of depiction. Through the French window, you can have a good view
of the garden on the ground. In a place like this you will surely
throw the fatigue away, feeling refreshed. The bathroom adjacent to
the bedroom is pretty large. The bathtub, sinks and faucets are all
reminiscent of the French monarchy era, making me feel like a
queen.
Both floors are equipped with
large, ultra-thin LCD screens which can fulfill the functions of an
electronic housekeeper. You can read telephone messages, watch TV
or movie, and surf the internet at your own will.
I woke up early next morning,
and came down to Les Ambassadeurs on the Lobby level for a
sumptuous buffet breakfast. In the embrace of such extravagance,
consisting of a dome painted with angels and walls adorned with
meticulously engraved heads of monsters, I felt awe and even unable
to breathe. It is a royal palace indeed. All the silvers are marked
with Christofle, porcelain with Bernardot, glass ware with Riedel.
In front of the finest of the dinnerware, you cannot help but
feeling like a queen.
About the Writer:
Liu Hui (Sophie) had studied in
France. As a fluent speaker of both the English and French
languages, she had worked with several American and French
mainstream media institutions, as well as served as a correspondent
in the EU. In private life, Sophie has been actively involved in
Shanghai’s upper-class social circles, attending parties and
making friends. Driven by her obsession with wines, she bade a
temporary adieu to the media industry, and devoted herself wholly
to the study of the wine culture. Sophie is presently working with
China’s No. 1 dealer of top-notch imported wines.
作者简介
刘慧，曾留学法国，在欧盟当过记者。精通英、法双语。在美国、法国多家主流媒体工作过。出入上海上流社会社交派对，广结人缘。出于对葡萄酒的热爱，暂别媒体，目前在国内排名第一的进口高档葡萄酒公司学习葡萄酒文化。
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