In 1911, the hotelier Jules Cadillat decided to build a luxury hotel on Avenue Montaigne. The avenue was already a meeting place for many Parisians thanks to its famous theatres and cabarets. Designed in an eclectic style by the architects Lefebvre, Julien and Duhayon, the future authors of the Claridge and Commodore hotels, the Plaza Athénée Hotel opened its doors on 20 April 1913. Its stone facade is decorated with wrought iron balconies. The inter-war period transformed the Avenue Montaigne into the epicentre of luxury and fashion with the installation of the first fashion houses.