The Ritz Paris is one of the world’s most iconic grand-dame hotels, and now’s your chance to take a bit of its prestigious history home with you!
Whether you are after a sofa that was sat on by the renowned novelist Marcel Proust or a bar stool that once propped up legendary writers Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920s, the 3,500 pieces being auctioned off offer a host of unique and treasured collectables from a hotel with a glorious 120-year history.
Set to take place from April 17-21, the auction is being held by Artcurial, an auction house that has previously sold off the contents of the Hotel de Crillon and Plaza Athenee in Paris, as well as the Hotel de Paris in Monaco.
Located at 15 Place Vendome, the Ritz Paris commands a legendary status in the world of luxury hotels. It has played host to some of the world’s most recognisable faces over the years, including Princess Diana, who dined at the hotel on the eve of her tragic death with Dodi al-Fayed, son of the hotel’s owner Egyptian billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed.
The hotel was founded by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz in 1898. In 2016, it reopened its doors after an extensive four-year renovation, unveiling 142 lavish rooms and suites, including several named after its most-famous residents, such as Coco Chanel and opera singer Maria Callas.
Among the more unusual items going up for auction are a Louis XVI style dog bed, an old barber’s chair, a Ritz-monogrammed minibar, and three stools from one of its famed bars. It is hoped that the auction will raise between 1 and 1.5 million euros.
