Dubai Holding – owned Westin Paris Hotel closes for €1 billion renovations

An emblematic page of the Paris hotel industry is about to be turned. The Westin Paris Vendôme, located between Place Vendôme and Concorde, a stone’s throw from the Tuileries, will close its doors at the end of April 2025. This announcement was confirmed by the hotel’s social and economic committee, and relayed by La Tribune de l’Hôtellerie.

Bought out in early 2023 by Dubai Holding, an investment fund owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Crown Prince of Dubai), the luxury hotel will soon no longer carry the Westin name. This decision comes after several years of social tensions, marked by mobilizations by employees worried about their future.

The closure of the palace will precede a vast renovation project to bring the building and its facilities up to 5-star standards. According to Business Immo, this colossal project is estimated to cost close to a billion euros in Capex, and will postpone the reopening until 2028.

The identity of the future operator remains a mystery. While the Jumeirah brand, a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, is being considered, there is also talk of Accor, already a partner of the fund in the Middle East. A third, more unexpected route could also emerge in the coming months.

Built in 1878, the hotel was once the most luxurious in Paris. It has since retained its prestige, passing through the hands of several international investors, including Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.

The closure will result in the redundancy of 250 employees. No further information has yet been released concerning their professional future.

The Westin Palace Paris Vendome