Dorchester takes on Paris hotel

The Dorchester Group has started managing the Plaza Athénée hotel in Paris, after control of the hotel passed from Brunei's Prince Jefri to the Brunei Investment Agency.

The Dorchester Group already operates one luxury hotel in Paris, the 125-bedroom Meurice. A spokeswoman said the two hotels attracted different types of guest and should complement one another.

Last year the Michelin three-starred chef Alain Ducasse moved his top Paris restaurant into the Plaza Athénée.

The reason for the change in control of the hotel is unclear. Prince Jefri owns two other luxury hotels, the New York Palace and the Bel Air in Los Angeles. He has retained control of these.

The Meurice, the Dorchester and the Beverly Hills hotel in California are formally owned by the Dorchester Group.

The 187-bedroom Plaza Athénée is directly owned by the Brunei Investment Agency and managed by the Dorchester Group on its behalf.

The Brunei Investment Agency is the ultimate owner of all the hotels as it owns the Dorchester Group.