Being transported around the world in seconds is easier than ever these days (the wonder of smartphones). But taking the time to appreciate the finer things can sometimes start with turning a page, as with the latest deep dive into the famed Plaza Athénée, a Parisian institution and famed hotel that now joins the Assouline Travel Series from the luxe publisher.
It’s a milestone for Assouline, which has given readers elusive access into the world of Patek Philippe and even sent enthusiasts “across the globe” via its Assouline Travel Series line of candles.
The new Plaza Athénée volume is the first to celebrate a hotel rather than a specific destination or locale, and the lavish tome does it justice in every way.
The hotel, located on the famed Avenue Montaigne, is renowned as a creative haven, boasting world-class dining, lovely garden spaces, apartments, restaurants and bars, and is billed as a world within a world, or a city within a city of sorts.
Among those restaurants is the Michelin-starred Plaza Athénée au Jean Imbert, which received a Michelin star just nine weeks after its opening. Accordingly, a foreword from the famed chef kicks off this opulent journey into a breathtaking hotel and community.
“The Plaza is a city within a city. It’s a heart of six hundred people that is beating day and night,” Imbert says in his foreword. “It’s where I’ve put all my heart, all my memories, all my crazy ideas.”
Assouline notes that the palatial building has a story all its own, one worth recounting over generations.
“The story of the Plaza is singular enough that it can be recounted to an ever-new audience without losing its style, signature or connection to the essence of great service à la française,” the publisher said.
The text and accompanying lavish illustrations are rounded out by award-winning writer, French Academy member and literary critic Marc Lambron across 272 pages of more than 300 illustrations.
From its elegant winding staircase to illustrious suites and legendary restaurants, readers are transported on a journey that’s so striking, it just might inspire a visit to the Plaza itself.
For now, the tome is available online at Assouline for $105, just in time to earn a signature spot in any study ahead of the holiday season.