Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

In 1702, Place Vendôme and its facades were designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, with the grounds of the future n°3 and 5 attributed to Pierre Bullet, king's architect. These plots were acquired in 1718 by Jean Law, Comptroller General of Finance. Between 1719 and 1720, Jacques V Gabriel built two private hotels, which remained unfinished: the number 3 was sold to Charles-Elizabeth de Coëtlogon, and the number 5 to Jacques-Daniel de Gueutteville d'Orsigny. The first hotel presents a double house body with a left wing, while the second, semi-double, organizes in return of square.

In 1903 grids installed on the ground floor altered the original order of facades. In 1919, the Banker's Trust Company obtained a 20-year lease on the two hotels, triggering in 1920 a major construction campaign led by Charly Knight: building elevation on the courtyard side, interior redevelopment, and replacement of an 18th-century house on Saint-Honoré Street with a concrete building. The hotels were sold in 1922 to the Société Anonyme Immobilière de la Place Vendôme, followed by new modifications in 1936, 1949, and in the 1960s and 1970s.

The facades and roofs on Place Vendôme and Rue de Castiglione are classified as Historic Monument in 1990. Today, the two merged hotels house the Bristol Hotel, after successive transformations combining architectural heritage of the eighteenth century and modern adaptations. The architects involved include Hardouin-Mansart, Bullet, Gabriel, and Knight, reflecting the evolution of the uses of this prestigious place, from aristocratic residences to a luxury hotel establishment.

External links