By using this website you allow us to use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Cookies are harmless and never personally identify you.
Sitting elegantly next to Rue de la Paix, which is of course the most expensive property on the Paris monopoly board, The Westminster has a rich history dating back to the days of the Ancien Régime before the French Revolution. The building was once a convent and still contains in its cellars the graves of the Mother Superiors of its past incarnation. Then, in the 19th century, it became an inn frequented by the Duke of Westminster. It has been a deluxe hotel since 1905 and the rich collection of antique clocks and furnishings that adorn it today give it an air of old world Parisian chic.
How the Stage was Set
HISTORY IN BRIEF
1905: Opening year.
1987: Warwick International Hotels bought the hotel.
HISTORY IN DETAIL
1789: The hotel’s beginnings were rather less glamorous. Indeed, until the French Revolution, this was a convent. The basement of the hotel still contains preserved graves of the convent's Mothers Superior.
1840s: When Napoleon III appointed Baron Haussmann to redesign Paris, the hotel was turned into an inn.
1846: The inn adopted the coat of arms and name of the Duke of Westminster, a regular guest.
1900: The building was purchased by a certain Jean Bruchon. He declared that the site should be preserved in perpetuity because of its historic value. Bruchon discovered a collection of antique clocks in the building. Over the years he added further timepieces to the collection, as well as other priceless antiques.
1905: The hotel opened in its current guise.
1987: The Westminster was acquired by Warwick International Hotels.
1996-2003: Millions of euros were pumped into the hotel to bring it up to modern deluxe standards.
Room amenities include:
Individual minibar
Fully air-conditioned with individual thermostat control
Marble bathroom
Hairdryer
Magnifying mirror
Carven beauty amenities
Bathrobe
Shoe cleaning service
Direct dial telephone with voicemail and dataport
Dual-line telephone
Two telephones in each room
Computer and fax upon request
Radio and television (in-house movies) with cable and satellite channels
Complimentary daily newspaper served with breakfast
High-speed ADSL Internet connection
A personal safe in the room
Double-glazed windows
The Saint-Honoré Suites and Vendôme Apartments
Le Celadon – fine dining courtesy of chef Christophe Moisand
------
Duke's Bar – light meals and cocktails in a cultured English atmosphere
With its baroque façade, balconies, wrought iron, marble, crystal and brocaded, The Westminster itself is of historical interest but its location could not be more ideal for those wanting to explore the sites of Paris. It is nestled between Place Vendôme and the Opera and just a stone’s throw from a peaceful stroll through the beautiful Tuileries Gardens, up the bustling Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. If that’s not enough, the area around the hotel is home to some of the city’s finest jewellers, including Cartier and Dunhill.
Fitness Centre with panoramic vistas of Paris
------
Orlane Beauty Room - massages, facial therapies and a range of body treatments
Google Map
Share:
Our Select Member Hotel
Westminster Opera Country: France City: Paris Opening date: 1846
Note from the Host
General Manager Volker Zach
Coordinates
13 rue de La Paix Place Vendôme 75002
France, Paris
Tel: +33 1 42 61 57 46
Fax: +33 1 42 60 30 66
Happiness is made to be shared, knew the great French dramatist Jean Baptiste Racine (†1699).
Fill in the form below to allow us to send you our free newsletter "Feuilleton" — and we start sharing our stories and research with you. You can change your subscription any time. And while you are here, you can share with us your favourite famous hotels.
Thank you
Your Hotel(Hi-)Storyteller
Andreas Augustin & Team
Subscribe to Feuilleton, the famoushotels newsletter
21 Suites