Paris Luxury and Design Hotels
Introduction
Paris Luxury and Design Hotels – There’s a certain joy that arises from wandering through Paris’s arrondissements and soaking up their distinctive personalities. The best hotels in Paris embody this feeling, which becomes palpable as you walk through the lobby doors. Add to that a strong sense of history and top-notch service, and you’ll have what seems to be the magic formula. At their best, the French capital’s most high-end hotels offer a service that goes way beyond a place to rest your head, rather providing unique and memorable experiences: think sleeping in Oscar Wilde’s last resting place, private butlers, or taking in the rooftops of Paris from a top-floor pool. In a competitive market, the best five-star hotels in Paris are forever striving to welcome their guests in greater splendor and style, providing exceptional service and facilities (with a price tag to match). Here’s our pick of Paris‘ finest, featuring opulent interiors, Michelin-starred dining, period charm and fabulous service
Ritz Paris
The legendary 142-room hotel on Place Vendôme jumped to the top spot from No. 8 last year. Since its first opening in 1898, it has welcomed dozens of dignitaries, celebrities, writers, and fashion icons, Ernest Hemingway and Coco Chanel among them. This sense of history continues to resonate deeply with guests. One reader noted, “If you want luxury with a past and a soul in Paris, there aren’t many to rival the Ritz.” Have afternoon tea at the Salon Proust, which serves the novelist’s beloved madeleines, or book an unforgettable stay in the Imperial Suite (a 2,347-square-foot-room modeled after Marie Antoinette’s own at Versailles). Another reader kept it short and straightforward, declaring the Ritz “one of the best hotels in the world.”
Le Bristol Paris
Opened in 1925, Le Bristol is one of six hotels in Paris that was awarded official ‘Palace’ status (a notch up from five stars). The emphasis is on old-fashioned luxe, where traditional door keys replace cards, service is personal, marble floors are polished, crystal chandeliers hang overhead, and Versailles-style furniture lines grand salons. Look out for the portrait of Marie Antoinette in the drawing room-style Café Antonia. Rooms are located across two buildings separated by an elegant French-style garden featuring ornamental parterres. The jewel in the crown is Epicure, the triple Michelin-starred restaurant, where the food is positively ambrosial. In the sumptuous rooms and suites, you’ll want for nothing. The design is classic 18th-century, but Dyson hairdryers hide within the bathroom cabinets, and thoughtfully curated books line the walls. And not just books that look good on the shelves, books you want to read—Fitzgerald’s lost short stories stand next to recipe books for Parisian cocktails.
Mandarin Oriental, Paris
If rue Saint-Honoré, where this Palace hotel is situated, is about conspicuous consumption, Mandarin Oriental Paris is a haven of elegance and understated pampering. From champagne on arrival to the lavish choice of pillow (rose-scented down perhaps, or memory foam perfumed with coconut milk?), service is polished and all-embracing from the off. Interiors are cool and contemporary, served with a slice of the Orient in the form of cherry wood paneling and fine silks – the rooms have a touch of 1930s Paris. Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx is a three-Michelin-starred affair in an all-white setting designed to not detract from the ‘sensory’ dining experience.
Hôtel Prince de Galles
A bright, compact, très belle artistic ode to 1920s Paris on Avenue George V. The Prince of Wales (named after the future Edward VIII before he met American divorcee Wallis Simpson) opened in 1929 as a showcase of Art Deco, its bright streamlined interiors ditching the flouncy frills of Art Nouveau to create one of Paris’ most modern hotels frequented by Winston Churchill, Marlène Dietrich, Laurel and Hardy et al. Expect rooms fashioned by contemporary French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon to sparkle like new; gastronomic dining with one of the city’s few female Michelin-starred chefs; a romantic wellness suite for two; and an excellent multi-staffed concierge desk.
Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris
On a wide avenue off the Champs-Elysées, the George V impresses the moment you step in: think palatial comfort, space, excellent gastronomy (it was the first palace hotel in Paris to have three Michelin-starred restaurants), and the most remarkable flower displays in town. Period interiors are bourgeois to the hilt, with spectacular artworks, crystal chandeliers, and 17th-century Flanders tapestries. This luxury continues to the rooms, decorated in a quintessentially French, classical Louis XV style. Even entry-level rooms are enormous by Parisian standards. And then there’s the designer spa with pool, Hamman, jetted whirlpool, and Champagne bar. Exquisite.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Located on Avenue Montaigne, this is one of the city’s most unabashedly opulent hotels (and yes, one of the most famous hotels in Paris for its role in Sex and the City). Grand décor blends touches of 17th-century Versaille style and Art Deco elements with a modern finish. At the same time, the staff is warm and efficient, with attentive and formal service in the hotel restaurants (Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée is the showpiece). Some rooms have superb views of the Eiffel Tower – including room 888, which has a viewing telescope – while others might have gorgeous interior courtyard shots. Standard doubles are the size of a small Parisian apartment.
Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris
On the avenue between the Arc de Triomphe and Parc Monceau, this ultra-luxe Palace-grade hotel is well-placed for those looking to explore Paris’s finer things. Despite a history dating back to the 1930s, the Philippe Starck-designed interiors are thoroughly contemporary, with arty influences almost everywhere – except a gallery, an “art concierge”, a concept store, and a cinema, for starters. Rooms are an artistic clutter of eclectic lamps and tables with vast island beds, photos, and artworks propped against the walls. A mirrored spa, the largest hotel swimming pool in Paris, and two restaurants with Michelin stars complete the offering.
La Réserve Paris
This ultra-luxe Parisian hotel is well-placed for lovers of old-school prestige and quality, with the high-end boutiques of Rue Saint-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne within close walking distance. Exquisite styling by star designer Jacques Garcia has given the boutique a pared-down look. However, there is proof of his signature playful blending of styles, with elements of Second Empire (think intricate wall moldings and Versailles parquet), Deco pillars in the Gabriel restaurant, and contemporary art pieces. The elegant library, open only to hotel guests during the day, presents a tranquil spot to read and work, with a view of the leisurely interior courtyard. Butler service is standard, and a courtesy car is available for guests for outings.
Hôtel de Crillon
Since it first opened 100 years ago, this grand, historic address – one of the most expensive hotels in Paris – has encapsulated elegance and sophistication. An extensive renovation involving four interior designers has transformed the property with extraordinary attention to detail. Expect lots of polished stone, bespoke furnishings, and huge, comfortable beds in 124 butler-assigned rooms (Karl Lagerfeld designed two suites). The biggest successes are the two internal courtyards, which have been transformed into leafy gardens with the brasserie and the spa spilling into them. Chef Christopher Hache, who ran the one Michelin-starred Les Ambassadeurs restaurant, oversees L’Ecrin for formal dining.
Hôtel du Louvre
A location by the Louvre, contemporary interiors, and the only Paul Bocuse brasserie in Paris return the renovated Hôtel du Louvre to its rightful position among the city’s best five stars. The landmark building dates back to 1855 when it first opened for the Exposition Universelle, but behind its historic façade the lobby and rooms are stylish and bright – think white walls, marble-topped coffee tables, collage-style prints by Emmanuel Pierre, and standout features including the marvelous neoclassical glass roof in the bar, L’Officine du Louvre. Facilities have been cleverly chosen; the cabinets privées (private rooms) for pre-check-in arrives are a great innovation. Complimentary experiences include tours of the Louvre in winter.
Le Meurice
Le Meurice stands out among the Paris palaces with its prime position on the arcaded rue de Rivoli, just minutes from the Louvre. It’s very grand yet not stuffy. Dali used to stay here with his ocelots, which has left a legacy of tolerance for guests’ foibles. Almost 400 staff can lay on anything from chauffeur-driven tours and the promise of bodily perfection in the Valmont spa to walking your dog. The 160 rooms and suites are luxurious oceans of pastel-coloured silks and bergère chairs à la Louis XVI. Now in the hands of multi-starred superchef Alain Ducasse, Restaurant Le Meurice offers superb dining under a blowsy rococo ceiling. Le Dali is also outstanding.
San Régis Paris
On a quiet residential road amidst the busy hum of the prestigious Triangle d’Or, this delightfully understated five-star was a favorite hideaway for Hollywood celebrities and the Paris fashion set (think Lauren Bacall and Gene Kelly). There is no spa or gym; instead, the five stars come from the exceptional level of service, which feels personal, genuine, and warm. The look throughout is luxurious – from a gleaming marble entrance and French designer fabrics on furniture and walls to rooms that are all a little different. The higher the grade, for instance, the more eccentric the décor. Dining is a low-key but stylish affair, with 34 covers and meals served under the elegant glass roof of Les Confidences.
