Finally, after four years of renovations and a major fire that necessitated restoration, the landmark Paris Ritz hotel will be reopening its doors to guests. The new Ritz, situated on the Place Vendome, will only have 142 rooms and suites, compared to 159 previously, and not all of them will be immediately available as the final touches are still being applied. The hotel boasts a legendary history – with names such as Charlie Chaplin, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway having visited since its founding by Cesar Ritz in 1898.

Hemingway, especially, was enamored with the place, once making the statement that: “When I dream of afterlife in heaven, the action always takes place in the Paris Ritz”. The writer famously rallied a group of Resistance fighters to go and liberate his beloved hotel which had been requisitioned in June 1940 by the Nazis and occupied by German brass. However he was too late as the Nazis had already left, so he took to the bar where he is said to have run up a tab for 51 dry martinis. The hotel was also the place where Princess Diana spent her last hours before her tragic car accident while being chased by paparazzi.

The refurbishment started in 2012, with an estimated $150 million brought together to spruce up the whole establishment. Although it was slated to re-open in March this year, a fire ravaged a section of the building and caused delays. All that is over now though and the new Ritz is ready for business, boasting a summer restaurant under a movable glass canopy, a larger ballroom and the latest technology in its rooms.

If you’re interested in finally being able to experience the atmosphere of the Paris Ritz, you can check out their website over here. Bear in mind that rooms are severely limited and demand is projected to be unreasonably high…