Place de la Concorde has witnessed much of France's more corpulent history: like Red and Tiannamen Squares it has hosted events of varying states of mind but always in profound magnitudes; from revolution to celebration, the footsteps of over two centuries and the theatre of eclectic human experience echoes in its paving stones.

The apparent incongruity but artistic coup de grace of the Obelisk, Paris' most ancient monument dating back to the reign of Egypt's Ramses II in 12 B.C. has presided over the Place since 1836, one of several statuary tenants and a gift to Louis Phillipe from Mehemet Ali, the Viceroy of Egypt, is surrounded by the added luminescence of lamplights evoking Lautrec's Parisian era.

And then like the eighteenth century dowager of style that she is, the regal Hotel Le Crillon sits at number 10, place de la Concorde a monument to the prevailing graciousness of an unprecedented time in artistic and architectural excellence. A magnificent palace built of an unbridled love for a King, it has weathered the activities of the infamous Place for two hundred years, from revolutionary purges to the motorised chaos of hundreds of cars whizzing down the Champs Elysees past her door. As always, Paris' grand hotel remains nonplussed and ever protective of her tenants.

In honour of their King, Louis XV, the city of Paris decided in 1748 to erect an enormous equestrian statue, commissioning the famed sculptor, Edme Bouchardon to execute the monument. Such a regal tribute demanded a fitting site and thus the King offered a private plot of land in between the Tuilleries and the Champs Elysees for just this purpose.

Thus while, Boiuchardon set to work on the royal effigy, architects from all over the city submitted their plans for the square. None, however, were deemed suitable until the King's own architect Jacques Ange Gabriel was asked to develop a proposal which he did drawing on the eclectic influences of the various contenders. Seven years later, Gabriel's square became place de la Concorde.

In the ensuing years, the Place would witness the passing parade of French history from consolidation of the monarchy to its downfall and would weather some name changes accordingly. In 1770, all of Paris turned out to see the fireworks in honour of future King Louis XVI's marriage to Marie Antoinette. One year later the fair of Saint-Ovide was commemorated there and for one month annually thereafter, the square would come alive to the sounds of merchants hawking their wares and entertainers performing for the crowds.

Then in 1792, a new era in French history was heralded. The square became 'Place de la Revolution' auguring the downfall of the Regents. Where joyful cries once echoed around the square, brothers took arms against each other and their once beloved King. Liberte and Egalite became the catchcries accompanying the toppling of the King's Statue and its replacement of the statue of Liberty by artist, Lemot. Then in 1793, the sound of the guillotine became the new crowd pleaser, with over 1000 beheadings taking place in the square amongst them, those of King Louis XVI, his Queen Marie Antoinette, Danton and Robespierre. Here, in the Place de la Revolution as the bloodthirsty masses were continuously appeased, the most famous voyeur in history, Madame Defarge would bring her knitting each day as she watched Paris rid itself of moderates, radicals and nobility alike without dropping a stitch.

In eras of transformation coming hot on the heels of the other, the Place underwent some considerable renovation before Louis Phillipe, the Duke of Orlenas and the new liberal king, erected the Obelisk in 1836 given to him some four years earlier.

Prior to the subsequent turbulence of the historical goings-on, Gabriel had some majestic plans for two identical palaces to flank the rue Royale. The East Building would house royal artifacts and treasures such as the Crown Jewels which, astoundingly were stolen by the shrewd duo of Cambon and Douligny. This dubious honour was later replaced by an even more dubious privilege - the pair were the first to be guillotined in the Place de la Revolution as immortal reward for their efforts.

The West building was divided into four distinct parts: and in 1775, the segment which was then 10 Place Louis XV was sold by the city of Paris to an architect, Louis Trousard. Only the facade remained of the original building and required an enormous amount of work by the willing Trouard. He was aided in his painstaking restorations by the Duc d'Aumont who was then resident at numero dix. With Trouard's technical expertise and the refined tastes of the Duke who was conveniently well-acquainted with the great artists of the time, the pair created a palace of breathtaking physical beauty and magnificent, inspired interiors filled with sculptures, frescoes, paintings and wood panelling.

Upon the Duke's death, Trouard willed the palace to Francois Felix Dorothee Berton des Balbes, whose ancestor was the famous Duc de Crillon, Louis de Berton, a hero in war, companion in arms and a great friend of King Henry IV. There began a lineage of well-heeled owners, including the Duchesse de Polignac, daughter of the Marquis de Crillon who sold the palace to Societe du Louvre in 1907. Two years later, it became a hotel. Today, Hotel Le Crillon is under the auspices of M. Jean Taittinger of the renowned champagne house. Hotel Le Crillon is just one part of the Taittinger family empire which embraces interests as diversified as the family champagne house, perfume, crystal, real estate and finance amongst others. As President and C.E.O. of the Societe du Louvre, Jean Taittinger is also President and C.E.O. of the Concorde Hotels Co. which encompasses 51 hotels in France and around the world united by a tradition of luxury and prestige.

Thus in line with the Hotel's reputation and historical significance, Crillon has been undergoing a series of sympathetic renovations since 1981 at a cost of 300 million francs. The Hotels' public areas, including the magnificent period decor of the gourmet dining room Les Ambassadeurs, one of the Hotel's two restaurants, where the fresco covered ceiling above the alternating panels of marble and mirror embellished with bronze relief and originally executed by artist Moreau Neret in the eighteenth century has been faithfully restored by artists from the Historical Monument's Association. The work depicts a group of small children at work on the building of various monuments, several of which can be seen from the Hotel itself. The more relaxed "L'Obelisque" restaurant is a favourite with artists, designers, jewellers, politicians and habitues of Faubourg St. Honore and rue Royale.

Nearby is the famous bar where during the war, foreign correspondents would gather to discuss the strategies of the allied and enemy forces to the strains of ragtime, still a favourite with patrons today. The bar has since undergone the artistic scalpel of sculptor Cesar and fashion designer Sonia Rykiel whose elegant touch is evident also in the guest rooms, suites and grand salons.

Bedecked in beige velvet and white percale, the rooms are themselves a celebration of style. With an emphasis on the luxurious, the rooms range from French period extravagance to the more subdued but no less stunning clean lines of a more contemporary elegance, all of them ablaze with an explosion of fresh flowers.

Added decoration of stillmore rooms has been more recently executed by designer Sybille de Margerie, niece of the President. Original Eighteenth century wood panelling has been restored in certain of the 200 rooms and suites and all have sumptuous new bathrooms and modern amenities, naturally. The lobby is a breathtaking spectacle of a much feted marriage between period and modern France. Lalique chandeliers shine down upon black velvet covered chairs, Baccarat crystal and ornamental lacework; enormous Persian rugs warm the Sienna and Porter marble, lifted in turn by dazzling floral bouquests. Despite the abundant opulence, the lobby is but a prelude to the magnificent array of architectural and aesthetic harmonies that have transformed what was once part of the Royal palace into a palatial hotel in the finest French traditions.

"Quite apart from our obvious elegance the most important aspect of this hotel is that we make a point of making every guest feel at home", says General Manager M. Herve Houdre. "My main task is just that, to ensure that each guest is welcomed individually and then to see to it that they are attended to in every regard.

"This place is a little like a country inn in as much as there is that same sense of personalised service and attention to detail. Our aim is to touch everyone that stays here in some way, to make certain they feel important, that they have been well looked after".

To this extent M. Houdre makes a point of having a manager on duty round the clock to attend immediately to any difficulties a guest might have. And when checking-in, guests are received at a desk rather than a counter, to make, M. Houdre hopes, them feel more at home.

While shiny marble abounds in the lobby, light golden oak lines the Gallery, and chandeliers hang from the roof, there is a cosiness about the hotel in keeping with M. Houdre's assessment of it's being like a family-run establishment. Perhaps this has to do with the attentive yet unobtrusive manner of the staff who carefully and thoroughly attend to one's every whim - even if that whim runs to their having to supply a plastic swimming pool on a terrace for the guest who wishes to sunbake in the heart of Paris.

"We had another occasion when a guest asked us for three adjoining Presidential suites for five nights so that he could impress his girlfriend", smiles M. Houdre. "He had us place $50,000 worth of flowers in the rooms, along with an orchestra and 2000 helium-filled balloons. Then our pastry chef was instructed to reproduce the place de la Concorde in almonds and sugar, complete with a metre high Obelisk.

It was a grand occasion indeed for these two lovers, particularly as he had flown her in from New York on Concorde for the stay and presented her with a diamond necklace and matching ring over their intimate dinner".

Such kingly romances emphasise the very comfortable dichotomy between the regal and the familiar which makes Hotel Le Crillon a place where the casual is at home with the formal. While it is common to see women stride the marbled floors in their minks, one is just as likely to see them prancing off for a daily jog in their tracksuits.

"I want my guests to feel at home here", says M. Houdre. "That is why we even had a secondary entrance put in, so that guests who wished to leave without being seen could do so. And as for a dress code, it exists in as much as it affects the sensibilities of our guests. Therefore while I have nothing personal against blue-jeans it is quietly obvious that blue-jeans do not really belong in this environment". One cannot but agree with M. Houdre, the ambience of the lobby alone bespeaks uncompromising refinement.

For the more dramatic recreation of a glorious history, filled with antiques and priceless objets d'art there are the overwhelmingly authentic Grand Salons. In keeping with the council of the Historic Landmarks Association, several architects, amongst them Jean Lou Roubert, the winner of the Grand Prix de Rome and presiding architect of the Paris Opera and the Grand Palais, applied their talents to the refurbishment of these remarkable rooms.

Like the Salon of Eagles, one of three upstairs Salons, it boasts French parquet floors, Aubusson rugs, Bohemian crystal, elaborate mouldings and gold leaf. Each of the Salon's four ceiling corners are in turn decorated with medallions depicting Fortitude, Truth, Wisdom and Abundance, flanked by soaring eagles. Or the Chapelle privee, once the private chapel of the Crillon family. Now one of the finest suites in the hotel, the ceiling and ornate woodwork of the Chapelle privee have been restored and the vista opens onto the United States Embassy. Fortuitous views indeed, as the first Charter of the League of Nations was signed in one of the Le Crillon's suites in 1919, in the presence of Woodrow Wilson, then President of the U.S.

Le salon Marie Antoinette harbours a somewhat eerie recreation of the Queen's pastime in the lovely Gobelins tapestry which depicts Marie Antoinette having her piano lessons within the portals of this very salon. The room overlooks a terrace lined with Corinthian columns envisioned by Gabriel for the entire facade, and then on to the place de la Concorde just beyond where the Queen would lose her royal head some years later.

"This hotel is a palace in the true sense of the word", explains M. Houdre. "It has History. It has a story to tell. It has service. And it has what I call the 'Dream Element', which is that people dream about staying here, and when they do they find that their dream is a reality".

Transforming such dreams into realities is no easy task, yet one which Houdre is eminently well equipped to do. Having come from a family of hoteliers, the young Herve made it his objective early on to apply his inherited skills and subsequent training in the vocation to an Hotel of grand proportions.

"I left school at 15, confident that all I ever wanted to do was be involved in the hospitality industry", M. Houdre explains. "I studied at the Hotel School in Paris for three years before working at the Paris Hilton, and then in London, before in turn moving to the West Indies. From there, I returned to Paris to work at the Plaza Athenee, after which I went to New York in 1983 to open the Plaza Athenee there. It wasn't until 1987 that I again returned to Paris as second to the then manager of Le Crillon.

"Fortunately, after a year and a half, the incombent manager left and M. Taittinger appointed me interim manager. I was young, and since in France it is very unusual to see a young person running an establishment of this calibre I had to convince M. Taittinger that I could do the job - that there was no need to find someone older. As it turned out, one year later I was appointed General Manager".

Renowned for the sweeping views of the place de la Concorde and other celebrated Paris sights from its terraces and balconies, the Hotel Le Crillon is no less acclaimed for the quality of its cuisine. Les Ambassadeurs is under the strict care of Chef des Cuisines Christian Constant whose achievements include winning the Trophee National de Cuisine et Patisserie, The Pierre Christian Taittinger Prize and The Silver Medal of Paris. Christian is also the administrator of the Societe des Cuisiniers de France.

Since 1988, M. Constant has been creating gastronomic pleasures which have given Les Ambassadeurs the enviable reputation of being one of the finest hotel restaurants in France. This, together with the success of the regional cuisine of L'Obelisque have made dining at the Hotel Le Crillon a continuing highlight of the Parisian gourmet experience.

While some members of European and Arab Royalty have been known to bring their own furniture to the hotel, the vast majority of guests are less flamboyant in their demands. Michael Jackson, for instance simply asked that all the furniture from one of his suites be removed to make way for a portable dance-floor. Another guest had one room converted into a chemist's laboratory so that he could continue his experiments while on vacation.

But while such high profile guests put a premium on their privacy, and are happiest sequestered behind the doors of their suites, lesser mortals are indelibly attracted to the beautiful courtyard, in the centre of hte hotel and the pivot of much social activity. Here, in the Winter Garden, the popular Tea Hour is an institution as the strains of Chopin and Debussy drift amongst the striped sun-umbrella's and backlit potted trees. A classified Eighteenth century courtyard, this secluded niche is hte perfect setting for lazing away balmy summer evenings far removed frm the constant bustle of hte Avenues and Boulevards leading away from the Place which at times must seem to be the very centre of the world. But that suits Herve Houdre very well indeed.

"Paris is such a drawcard for people everywhere", he says. "Here, there is culture, fashion and that certain intangible sense of elegance that just cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I have great faith in Paris, and believe that with the development of a true European community it will prove itself to be the centre of Europe". Hisotry repeats itself in some very appealing ways as once again kings, princes, queens, noblemen and the royalty of modern culture, traverse the Place in their horseless carriages on the way to the palatial Le Crillon.