PeninsulaParisCelebratesGrandOpening

The Peninsula Paris, owned by Katara Hospitality and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH), celebrated its grand opening in impressive fashion.

Following a relatively quiet opening last August, on Thursday night The Peninsula Paris, owned by Katara Hospitality and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH), celebrated its grand opening in impressive fashion.

Guests arriving at the party were greeted with a Hollywood-style red carpet and three enormous Montgolfier balloons bearing the word "Welcome" in French, Arabic and Chinese — the three languages that forge The Peninsula Paris’ culture.

The opening ceremony was hosted by French TV personality Valérie Expert with speeches by The Honourable Sir Michael Kadoorie, chairman of HSH, and Christopher Knable, chief operating officer of Katara Hospitality, on behalf of their chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani.

Lady Betty and Sir Michael Kadoorie arrive at the party as Montgolfier balloons and the Peninsula Pageboys stand watch in the background.

At the historical staircase in the reception lobby, the Orchestre de Colonne (one of Paris’ oldest orchestras, founded in 1873) greeted guests with Gershwin-inspired tunes — referencing George Gershwin’s stay at the original Hotel Majestic (today The Peninsula) in 1928, where he wrote “An American in Paris.”

In the Lobby Restaurant, which was transformed into a dance floor for the night, French model and singer Inna Modja performed.

“Dueling pianos” were the order of the night at the Salon Etoile, with Matthias Mimoun and Flavien Compagnon playing as guests enjoyed the live cooking stations around the room.

Chinese actress and model Zhang Ziyi poses with Peninsula Paris General Manager Nicolas Béliard.

The party also featured

• Food such as caviar, blue lobster, wild salmon, Kobe beef, veal carpaccio, a chocolate fountain and more than 150 liters of ice cream
• 1,800 bottles of champagne and wine
• 300 bottles of spirits for cocktails
• 9,000 roses
• 1,800 stems of greenery

"For many years, I had hoped that our first hotel in Europe would be in this magnificent city of Paris,” Kadoorie said. “Paris is the quintessential capital of art de vivre and elegance. And in our business, we strive to uphold these typically French values every day. And then, my family has a long history with France, one that has lasted for three generations. This tradition continues with my three children.”