Hilton Paris Opera

History

Discover the Hilton Paris Opera, which originally debuted as the Grand Hotel Terminus in 1889.

Hilton Paris Opera was constructed during the historic reign of the United Kingdom’s famed Queen Victoria, who sat on the British throne from 1837 to 1901. This landmark hotel was inaugurated during the World’s Fair in Paris in 1889, just two months after the completion of the Eiffel Tower. It was designed by Juste Lisch and built in record time to accommodate the influx of visitors from the World’s Fair. It was opened as the Grand Hotel Terminus, and immediately began serving transatlantic travelers coming from Normandy via the Saint Lazare station. Over the next century, the hotel was a hot-spot of activity. In the 1950s, the hotel café entertained several future celebrities, including Jean-Philippe Léo Smet, who later adopted the stage name Johnny Hallyday. Hallyday later became one of the best-selling rock and roll singers in French history. In 2013, the hotel was bought by the Hilton Hotels and underwent a dramatic restoration. The breathtaking lobby and Grand Salon were painstakingly restored, uncovering the exquisite details that had been hidden for years. The guestrooms were redone with creative mixtures of historical and modern details to immerse the guests in the comfort of today's amenities.

Hotel Timeline

Construction began on the Grand Hotel Terminus, designed by architect Juste Lisch as a luxury railway hotel connected to Gare Saint-Lazare.

The hotel café became a lively gathering place and entertained future celebrities, including Jean-Philippe Léo Smet, later known as French rock icon Johnny Hallyday.

The hotel opened during the 1889 Paris World’s Fair, just two months after the completion of the Eiffel Tower, to accommodate wealthy international travelers arriving by rail. The hotel opened with 500 bedrooms and advanced amenities for the era, including electric lighting, telephones, service bells, and refined public spaces. Built with a direct link to Gare Saint-Lazare, the hotel served transatlantic travelers arriving from Normandy and became one of Paris’s great railway-era hotels.

The hotel was acquired by Concorde Hotels and Resorts and later operated under the name Hotel Concorde Saint-Lazare Paris.

The property was renamed Hotel Concorde Opéra Paris, reflecting its location near the Opéra district.

Hilton purchased the historic hotel and launched a major restoration program.

The lobby and Grand Salon were carefully restored, uncovering historic details hidden for years, while guestrooms were redesigned with a blend of classic and contemporary features.

The hotel reopened as Hilton Paris Opera after a major restoration reportedly costing more than $50 million.

Hilton Paris Opera was inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide. Historic Hotels Worldwide is a prestigious collection of historic treasures, including more than 300 legendary historic hotels including many former castles, chateaus, palaces, academies, haciendas, villas, monasteries, and other historic lodging spanning ten centuries.

1888

1950s

1889

1972

2009

2013

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2015

2018

Famous Historic Guests

Johnny Hallyday (Jean Philippe Léo Smet), famous French rock musician who sold over 100 million records worldwide.