Located on avenue Montaigne, next to the Champs-Élysées theater, the Plaza Athénée hotel is a showcase for French luxury in the area that has become Paris's haute couture district.
Built in 1911 by hotelier Jules Cadillat and inaugurated two years later in April 1913, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée is located on the Avenue Montaigne, which was laid out in 1850 and dotted with sumptuous mansions and famous cabarets. The hotel quickly established itself as one of the most sought-after palaces in the City of Light, so much so that it doubled in size during the Roaring Twenties.
In 1936, the iconic brasserie Le Relais Plaza opened its doors: already revolutionary at the time, Constant Lefranc's Art Deco design was inspired by the Normandie's first-class dining room.
The 1946 opening of the Maison Christian Dior a few steps from the hotel marked the beginning of a long history of couture, with other designers following in its wake. Avenue Montaigne became the fashion Mecca of Paris, and the Hôtel Plaza Athénée the meeting place for its customers.