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Hôtel particulier.


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What is the real meaning of this and where can it be used?

I hear it used all the time on French TV to describe large old buildings, nearly always in Paris that are being used as a single albeit very large home, they are definitely not sub divided and I see no evidence that they may ever have been a hôtel in the past, is the hôtel a red Herring?

The dictionary definition is manor house, well in the countryside where manor houses would be they are never called hôtel particuliers, its either le château or une maison de maître.

As an owner of what was once a hôtel can I boast that I own a hôtel particulier on draguerunechercheused'or.fr? [:D]  

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BJSLIV said: Says it all I think

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_particulier

Yes, it does say it all. I always looked upon it as the town residence for the nobles/filthy rich and NOT for anyone else.

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[quote user="NormanH"]Of course there also exist such phrases as
Hôtel de Police or Hôtel de la Région.

Hôtel is somewhere that hosts someone or something

an Hôtel particulière is there for hosting a private individual.
[/quote]

Thats the one that is going to stick in my mind I'm sure.

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