Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), said "Paris' Four Seasons Hotel George V hotel that is 100% owned by KHC is the best & most prestigious in the world" as it was awarded the "Best Hotel in the World for Service" in the 2014 Conde Nast Traveler. The George V's luxurious and elegant interior and architectural design has made it unique. The décor is a combination of classical designs with a modern touch. The hotel's interiors are adorned with magnificent tapestries and spectacular flowers. The hotel houses the famous Le Cinq restaurant that provides guests with an exceptional experience. Prince Alwaleed acquired the George V in 1996 for $178 million. A two-year $125 million comprehensive renovation was started in 1997. The total cost of acquiring the hotel and renovation amounted to $303 million, reflecting the Prince's dedication to restore the glory of this landmark. Since its reopening in 1999, the Four Seasons George V has become internationally-renowned for its top notch services. When the hotel reopened, Prince Alwaleed said "I am confident that the George V with its new look will be the crown jewel of hotels in the world. Great efforts have been exerted to offer the best luxury services. I am sure that guests of the George V will experience unparalleled service." The George V has received numerous recognitions. It was awarded the "Best Hotel in Europe" in the 2014 US magazine Celebrated Living and it was also awarded the "Best Overseas Business Hotel in France" in Conde Nast Traveller and the "Best European City Hotel" in the 2013 Gallivanter's Guide for 11 consecutive years, in 2013, Four Seasons George V was awarded the best Hotel In-Room Dining by The SAVEUR Culinary Travel Awards. In 2012, the hotel was awarded the best business hotel in Western Europe in the Business Traveller Magazine by The Business Traveller Award, 2012 for three consecutive years. George V, Paris was also recognized as one of the best companies in the digital world in 2012 by Fondazione Altagamma Digital Luxury Index. In 2011, Paris's Four Seasons Hotel George V was awarded the Palace rating by The French tourism authorities. In 2010, the George V was ranked Best City Hotel Worldwide in Ultratravel magazine, it was also ranked Best International Business Hotel by Conde Nast Traveler in 2006, "When it comes to catering for business travelers, hotels are finding that convenience and flexibility count as much as luxury. Paris's Four Seasons Hotel George V ... will send a representative to greet you at the plane and expedite your way through customs," the survey said. Furthermore, George V was ranked Best City Hotel Worldwide for 8 consecutive years, and ranked Best European City Hotel for 10 consecutive years in Gallivanter's Guide, and was also ranked the World's Best International City Hotel in Andrew Harper's Hideaway report 2008 and Best International City Hotel in Andrew Harper's Hideaway report in 2005. The George V has also been rated the world's number one hotel by the ZAGAT Survey in its 2004 Top International Hotels, Resorts & Spas edition. The Survey described George V as a "jewel in the Four Season's crown" The hotel was also ranked World's Best Hotel in the same year, in the Institutional Investor. In 2002, L'hôtellerie magazine published a report entitled: "Four Seasons George V Hotel Best Luxurious Hotel in the World in 2002-2003." Founded in 1980, KHC is a publicly traded company which was listed on Tadawul (the Saudi Stock Exchange) in 2007. KHC is one of the world's most successful and diversified business organizations, highly respected in the field of investments and recognized as an elite player in the Arabian Gulf region, and internationally. The Company is recognized as one of the largest foreign investors in the United States. KHC's portfolio has its major interests in investment categories ranging from luxury hotels management, hotel companies (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont Raffles Holding Intl and Mövenpick Hotels, Resorts AG and Swissotel) and real estate (Kingdom Tower project in Jeddah and Kingdom Tower and project in Riyadh and Kingdom City) to hotel real estate investments such as (The Plaza, New York, Savoy Hotel, London and Four Seasons, George V Hotel, Paris and other hotels). KHC also has investments in Petrochemical (Tasnee) Media and Publishing (News Corporation and 21st Century Fox), as well as in Entertainment (Euro Disney S.C.A). In addition, Finance and Investment services (Citigroup), Social Media and Technology (Twitter, JD.com and Lyft). Moreover, the Company has investments in Education (Kingdom Schools), Health Care (Kingdom Hospital and Consulting Clinics), Aviation (NAS Saudi Arabia) and Agriculture (Kingdom Agricultural Development Company – KADCO Egypt).
