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Origin and history

The Hotel de Boullongne, also known as the Hotel de Montbreton, is a former mansion located at No 23 of Place Vendôme, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Built between 1710 and 1712 by architect Pierre Bullet, it embodies the aristocratic architecture of the early eighteenth century. The hotel is adjacent to the hotels of Fontpertuis and Peyrenc de Moras, and is distinguished by its facades and roofs classified in 1931.

The land was originally acquired by Pierre Bullet, who built his own hotel there and died there in 1716. His son, Jean-Baptiste Bullet de Chamblain, inherited the property and sold it in 1719 to John Law de Lauriston, famous Scottish financier. In 1720 Law, whose economic system collapsed, escaped from a lynching in this hotel before being exiled. His property was confiscated and handed over to his daughter, Marie-Catherine, and then sold in 1723 to Abraham Peyrenc de Moras, a former wig that had been enriched by the Law system.

In 1723, Peyrenc de Moras, dissatisfied with the hotel, sold it to Guillaume Tavernier de Boullongne, who had the painter Nicolas Lancret make decorations there. The hotel then changed hands several times: he passed to the Boucher in 1750, then to the Marquet de Montbreton in 1768, before being acquired by the Leemans family in 1811. In the 19th century, it is rented to personalities such as the Duke of La Croix de Castries and houses luxury shops, including the watchmaker François Czapek, supplier of Napoleon III.

In the 20th century, the hotel was bought in 1907 by François Coty, a perfumer and businessman, who set up his shop there. From 1900 to 1932, the first floor houses the Art Gallery of the Seligmann Brothers. In 2003, the emir of Qatar acquired the hotel, which has been home from the boutiques of Cartier jewellers (since 1975) and Bulgari (since 1979). Ranked a historic monument in 1931 for its facades and roofs, it remains a symbol of Parisian prestige.

The Boullongne hotel illustrates the evolution of private hotels in Place Vendôme, from aristocratic residences to luxury commercial spaces. Its history reflects the economic and social upheavals of France, from the financial speculations of the 18th century to the globalization of luxury in the 21st century.

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