History Is On Sale at a Venerable Paris Hotel

For those inspired by hotel design, there is now a chance to take some of it home, legally. The 100-year-old Hotel Plaza Athénée Paris will hold its first auction of vintage and not-so-old collectibles as it prepares to close for a seven-month renovation.

About 1,000 items primarily from the lobby, restaurant and bar will be auctioned live on Oct. 7 and 8. Auction items range from plates found in the hotel’s Alain Ducasse restaurant to sculptures including a bust of Marie-Antoinette, oversize Louis XVI-style vases, Murano glass chandeliers, leather and mahogany liquor cabinets, and even the marble-topped oak concierge desk....