Steeped in Parisian history, The Peninsula Paris – owned by Katara Hospitality and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH) – opened its doors quietly with a traditional lion dance on 1 August 2014. However last night, the hotel celebrated its grand opening in a blaze of colour, music and a guest list comprising international stars, guests from around the world and “le tout Paris”.
Guests arriving at the party were greeted with three enormous Montgolfier balloons floating above a Hollywood-style red carpet, bearing the golden word of hospitality “Welcome” in French, Arabic and Chinese – the three languages that forge The Peninsula Paris’ culture.
An enormous feat of organisation and logistics, the hotel’s team had been preparing for the event since last summer, planning the many activities scheduled to take place throughout the evening.
The opening ceremony was hosted by French TV personality Valérie Expert, with speeches by The Honourable Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of HSH, and Mr Christopher R. J. Knable, Chief Operating Officer of Katara Hospitality, on behalf of their Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani.
