Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chambon Hotel is a private hotel built in 1805 by Davia, an entrepreneur known for also building the Choisy Bridge in 1809. Located at 95 rue du Cherche-Midi in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, it embodies the bourgeois architectural style of the early 19th century, combining elegance and functionality for an easy clientele.

In 1813, the property was acquired by Baron Chambon de Limoron, who lived there until 1833 and left him his present name. After his departure, the hotel passes into the hands of the printer Jean-Baptiste-Victor Lenormand, reflecting the social and economic changes of Paris under the Restoration and monarchy of July. Its facades on street and courtyard, characteristic of the period, are classified as historical monuments in 1936.

In the 20th century, the hotel gained a new reputation when actor Gérard Depardieu bought it in 1994. For ten years he undertook an ambitious restoration, entrusted to the heritage architect Guillaume Trouvé for the outdoors and to the decorators Jacques Garcia and Bernard Quentin for the interiors. Depardieu settled there in 2003, making the hotel the headquarters of its company DD Productions. The project of transformation into a palace, mentioned before its departure for Belgium in 2012, will never see the light of day.

Offered on several occasions (2012, 2017, 2022), the hotel struggles to find lessee despite its 1,800 m2 living space, 20 rooms and luxurious facilities (indoor swimming pool, elevator). Initially estimated at EUR 50 million, it was finally transferred in February 2026 to a UK fund of EUR 22.6 million, marking the end of a page in its history related to French cinema.

Future

In 2012, it was put on sale after Gérard Depardieu's decision to move to Belgium for a price close to 50 million euros. Before his departure for abroad, the actor intended to turn him into a luxury hotel.

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