Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘When I dream of an afterlife in heaven, the action always takes place at the Ritz Paris.’
Now, you could own a piece of what Le Figaro magazine called ‘the Mona Lisa of the luxury hotel world’ as over 10,000 objects from it’s luxurious past are being auctioned off.
Prized objects from the ‘lost times of the Ritz’, which were surplus to requirements after the refurbishment two years ago are going under the hammer in Paris this April.
The legendary hotel was called ‘the most romantic hotel in the world,’ by Sophia Loren and several floors were taken over by the Nazis when they occupied Paris during World War II
Coco Chanel’s boutique was just across the road from the hotel. She moved into her private suite in 1934 and stayed there until her death in 1971
The items include paintings, chandeliers, service buttons, garden gates and French antiques from Louis XIV to Empire style, including Regency and Louis XVI representing more than a century of hotel history.
Opened in 1898 by Swiss hotelier César Ritz, it was bought in 1979 by Egyptian billionaire Mohamid Al Fayad in 1979 and underwent four years of renovation before re-opening in 2016. The objects going on sale no longer fit the new set-up of the hotel, favoured by A-list stars and royalty from around the world.
Diners enjoy an evening meal at the glamorous establishment in 1933
Among the items is the first bathtub installed at the hotel, estimated to fetch between 800 and 1,200 euros (£700-£1,057).
A gold sofa set from a salon named after the writer Marcel Proust is expected to fetch more than £1,200, while a pair of black lacquered decorative Chinese junk sailboats from the Coco Chanel suite will be on offer at 2,000 euros (£2,202).
In it’s 118-year history, the legendary hotel was called ‘the most romantic hotel in the world,’ by Sophia Loren and during the Second World War, the Nazis took over several floors when they occupied Paris during World War II.
Auction house Artcurial, who are organizing the sale said the 10,000 pieces in the catalogue have been separated into 3,500 lots ranging from €100 to €5,000.
Egyptian billionaire Mohamid Al Fayad bought the glitzy hotel in 1979 and underwent four years of renovation before re-opening in 2016
Speaking to the Observer, auctioneer Stéphane Aubert says the items grouped into 3,500 lots ranging from €100 to €5,000, encapsulate ‘Ritz style’. ‘It’s a form of elegance and a certain savoir faire à la française’.
‘Many of the items were either made by well-known manufacturers or by the Ritz’s own workshops so they are of quality and still in good condition.’
The five star walls of the luxurious hotel have seen a variety of famous names including Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, Marcel Proust, Elton John and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The glitzy establishment became a second home to the twentieth century writer Marcel Proust, using it to work on his masterpiece Á la Recherche du Temps Perdu. The author is said to have liked the hotel so much he had dinner there practically every day.
The Ritz has become known for being the place where Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayad spent their last hours before the fatal car accident in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel
Not everyone appreciated the hotel’s many luxuries, Oscar Wilde complained that the elevators moved too fast and the ensuite bathrooms were not to his style.
Coco Chanel, whose boutique was just across the road, moved into a suite at the hotel in 1934 and stayed there until her death in 1971.
More recently, the Ritz has become known as the place where Princess Diana spent her last hours before she was fatally injured in a car accident in 1997. The Princess was travelling with the hotel owner’s son, Dodi Al Fayad, who also died at the scene.