INTERCONTINENTAL PARIS

The Intercontinental Paris hotel is one of the 'grand dames' in Paris. A well-known Parisian landmark, this former monastery is one of the city's most sought-after hotels for business and leisure travellers. The InterContinental Paris is superbly located, surrounded by the magnificently landscaped Tuileries Gardens designed by Lenôtre in 1664, Place Vendôme and Place de la Concorde. It is therefore in the heart of the historical, cultural and shopping areas of Paris. All of the 438 guest rooms and suites are decorated to give a feeling of staying in a comfortable Parisian private apartment. The hotel has two wonderful restaurants, a Moroccan-inspired spa (with a hammam and hararel - a Moroccan steam room and sauna) and some of the most spectacular meeting spaces in all of Paris, including Le Salon Impérial, built in the 19th century, which has been the backdrop for runway shows for some of France's famous designers: Guy Laroche, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix and more. Hotel facilities include the spacious Fitness Centre where state-of-the-art training equipment is available 24 hours a day. The Business Centre features a comprehensive range of services to assist the corporate guest. The hotel is a historical treasure, dating from France's second Empire. The site of the hotel was originally a Capuchin monastery in the 1600s, and in fact, the hotel's main entrance is on the very site of the monastery's refectory. The building remained a monastery until the Revolution and in 1792, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spent some of the last days of their lives there (where the King was later condemned to death). On 7th July 1880, members of the Franco-American Union and sculptor Frederic August Bartholdi met at the hotel to discuss plans for a monument to Franco-American friendship, which of course became the Statue of Liberty