Paris luxury hotels. Reopening of the Royal Monceau on Monday ... With the opening next to a Shangri-La, and pending the Mandarin Oriental and the Peninsula, the supply of luxury hotels in Paris enriched. And competitors prepare for battle. Scenes of a battle hushed but thank you. It was in June, a spectacular site, which shook the whole avenue Hoche, in the chic eighth arrondissement of Paris. And while the concrete mixers, jackhammers and workers operating in a deafening noise, all Paris was preparing for a much anticipated event: the reopening of the Royal Monceau. It was finally held this Monday, October 18. Even bustle Avenue Jena, on the other side of the Star. In a forest of scaffolding escape some naked statues and neoclassical columns, discounts up to date by the group Shangri-La Hong Kong, which, in turn, has opened its hotel in late 2010. The never-seen in the history of more than a century palaces: between 2010 and 2012, four institutions-the Royal Monceau, the Shangri-La so, but the Mandarin Oriental (2011) and Peninsula (in 2012) - will expand the supply of Paris. "With over 700 additional rooms, the capacity will increase by nearly 70%", calculated Gabriel Matar, Director France of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, author of the study "Palaces 2015". What worried the band of seven George V, Plaza Athenee, Le Meurice, Crillon, Ritz, Bristol, Fouquet's. A few weeks before the first overtures, wondering about all the new Monopoly Capital, with a keen awareness of the "profound change that will take place," said Didier Le Calvez, general manager of Bristol. And polish already their weapons for a fight to the barbed but nonetheless relentless ... The luxury hotels in Paris MANDARIN ORIENTAL 247, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, Paris (I). Management: Mandarin Oriental. Owner: SFL (Spain). Opening: 2011. PENINSULA 19 Avenue Kleber, Paris (XVI). Management: Peninsula (Hong Kong). Owner: Qatari Diar. Opening: 2012. SHANGRI-LA 3, avenue d'lena, Paris (XVI). Owner: Kuok family (Hong Kong). Scheduled opening: late 2010. ROYAL MONCEAU 37 Avenue Hoche, Paris (VIII). Management: Raffles Hotels (Singapore). Owner: Qatari Diar (Qatar). Reopening: end of August 2010. FOUQUET'S 46, avenue George V, Paris (VIII). Owner: Groupe Lucien Barriere (France). GEORGE-V 31, avenue George V, Paris (VIII). Management: Four Season's. Owner: Prince Al-Waleed (Saudi Arabia). PLAZA ATHENEE 25, avenue Montaigne, Paris (VIII). Owner: Sultan of Brunei (Brunei). BRISTOL 112, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, Paris (VIII). Owner: family Oetker (Germany). CRILLON 10, place de la Concorde, Paris (I). Owner: Starwood Capital (USA). FOR SALE. RITZ 15, place Vendôme, Paris (I). Owner: Mohamed al-Fayed (Egypt). MEURICE 228, rue de Rivoli, Paris (I). Owner: Sultan of Brunei (Brunei). In the late afternoon of May, in the elegant salons of George V, no sense of panic seems to be gaining staff. And if one feels like a chill in the air, it's just because Johnny Hallyday, back from Los Angeles, has just made its appearance. Displayed that serenity, found in most historic palaces, yet hides great concern. "They are definitely worried. Competition with high-level operators will upset the established order," Analysis Paul Roll, director of the Paris Tourism Office. New investors - Qatari fund or Asian groups - did not come to make up the numbers. If they bet hundreds of millions of euros (150 to 300 million) on Pharaonic projects, offering the Palais de Roland Bonaparte (Shangri-La) or the former International Conference Centre (Peninsula), c is good because Paris is "a must for all teachers who want to position themselves in luxury," said Gabriel Matar. Deboned before being rebuilt Thus, the Shangri-La has chosen to give itself a prestigious showcase in the French capital to become known in Europe. The owners have restored a huge mansion in the state of the art, with the help of skilled craftsmen. For its part, the Royal Monceau, almost totally boned before being rebuilt, will offer a luxury ultra-modern designed by Philippe Starck and innovation noticed a movie theater. The Mandarin Oriental, Faubourg Saint-Honore, promises him an extraordinary sophistication, which shakes its close neighbors, including the Hotel Costes. While the Peninsula offer huge rooms with panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower, and a large Chinese restaurant: "Playing the Asian map, what a great idea!" Sighs a competitor. Chefs But no palace - whatever the beauty of the place and the quality of the site - without a personal exception. After hiring chefs, like Thierry Marx, the Mandarin Oriental, or Philippe Labbé, at the Shangri-La, the newcomers went dip into the pool of existing hotels. The battle raged behind the scenes between the old and modern. Asians do not hesitate to bid to recruit the best. "They cause hemorrhaging," said Mark Watkins, head of the firm Coach Omnium. In addition to the janitors or housekeepers - the Royal Monceau is to poach an employee of George V - it is the recognized industry bosses that are hunted. Thus, Didier Le Calvez has moved from George V in Paris Shangri-La, only to lead the Bristol. Philippe Leboeuf, appointed general manager of Mandarin Oriental, led the Crillon, before leaving for the Claridge's in London, where he was recruited. "We will not let ourselves do," insists François Delahaye, general manager of the Plaza Athénée and Le Meurice. Faced with such a use of means, the uptown hotel could not remain indifferent. "This led us to challenge ourselves," said Chris Norton, executive director of George V. A thousand miles of rumble in recent years. "Can not rest on its laurels," adds Dominique Desseigne, head of Groupe Lucien Barrière, which owns the Fouquet's on the Champs-Elysées. This is a real palace revolution that is played. The Bristol, for example, launched a major renovation, while annexing an adjoining building to house 26 additional rooms, a pool and a bar of luxury contemporary style that contrasts with the classic good taste of the institution, but give the change at the Mandarin Oriental. The Plaza Athénée himself has taken over three buildings to expand and modernize. "An escalation of investment, which, according to Mark Watkins, is absolutely essential." It is also necessary to finance ... "Having a sympathetic owner is a chance," comments François Delahaye, citing the 15 million disbursed in two years by the Sultan of Brunei for the Plaza. However, the two most beautiful "palace" of the capital began, them to lose their luster. The Crillon, for sale by Starwood Capital, has not been refreshed for a long time. Same for the Ritz, Place Vendome, No. 1 ten years ago. Despite their former glory and reputation, they may suffer more than others to offer upgraded luxury. "Nobody can afford to stand idly by. Otherwise, attention to the fall!" Warns Richard McGinnis, owner of Leading Hotels of the World France, label the high-end hotel. Some institutions, the zenith in the 1980s, lost their rank palace, as the Prince of Wales, the Grand Hotel, the Intercontinental and ... the Royal Monceau, before the work. A market complex and fragile The daily struggle is to stay on top. Especially, says a pro, that "it is not certain that the market can absorb so many hotels in the same time. It is therefore likely to be the case." In fact, everything will depend on market conditions. "In the late 2000s, it was euphoria, and these hotels refused customers one hundred and fifty days a year, recalls Gabriel Matar. Le Fouquet's, which opened in late 2006, was able to find a place in less a year. " But today the situation is not quite the same. The recovery is delayed. This is particularly worrying that the luxury hotel market is complicated and fragile. Profitability requires a fill rate of 65%. Below 60%, given the fixed costs, the economic model no longer works. And if the hotel welcomed the delay of future facilities - opening in 2009 would have been catastrophic - all fear 2011 "year of transition and redistribution of the cards," according to an expert. The sellout is antithetical to the concept of palace Caution, danger, warn managers historic palaces, at the newcomers: do not trigger a price war. "It would be suicidal. It would kill the market," insists François Delahaye. "They would not win the battle," said Dominique Desseigne. Georges Panayotis, MKG President, hospitality consulting firm, recalls that "the sellout is antithetical to the notion of a palace." And the rich customers are less sensitive to changes in the note to the service. The real fight will engage more in this field and that of identity. "It must be more assertive, to enhance the differentiation," observes Gabriel Matar. By this yardstick, the Royal Monceau, with its avant-garde concept of luxury and trend is likely to succeed his bet. The immediate decline of the euro will make the city more competitive and encourage the return of Americans. For the rest, hope rests mainly on the Chinese customers, which is still reluctant to pay dearly for an overnight stay, while it offers bags for 1000 euros. The former rely on new palaces to attract them. "Let them do come, and we will arrange to get them back," joked skull, a hotel manager. Finally, says Georges Panayotis, "in the hotel industry, the supply always creates demand." A view shared by Gabriel Matar, who estimated that by two to three years, after an intense battle, Paris will become the queen of the palaces. To the delight of the rich