Hotel Lancaster has quite the backstory. Originally a private mansion, it was transformed into a luxury hotel in the 1920s and went on to welcome stars including Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and Elizabeth Taylor. Marlene Deitrich did one better, taking up residence in an apartment in the hotel for three years in the 1930s. Today, the elegant Marlene Suite stands as a tribute to the iconic actress, complete with her original Érard baby grand piano.
My arrival at Hotel Lancaster is suitably cinematic: on a drizzly Parisian evening, a sharply dressed doorman is quick to usher me under an umbrella and into the warmth of the lobby, an early indicator of the exceptionally thoughtful service on offer here. Throughout the hotel, the décor is refined and tasteful, making the most of period details (parquet floors; marble fireplaces), with plenty of modern touches. Suites have either a courtyard or street view, and if you’re lucky enough to get the latter, you just might be able to see the tip of the Eiffel Tower peeking above the surrounding rooftops.
Monsieur, the hotel’s restaurant, is headed up by Chef Sébastien Giroud, where he creates monthly menus celebrating the best of different French regions. Celebrated Parisian cocktail bar CopperBay took over the hotel’s bar in spring 2024. Here, the cocktails and tapas menu both take inspiration from around the Mediterranean, with dishes like panisse fries and duck thigh croquettes and drinks like the delightfully savoury peperonata. The bar is handsome year round, but really comes into its own in the summer months, when it opens out onto a shady terrace.
Neighbourhood
Right off the Champs Elysée and just a 10-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe, this is one of Paris’s busiest shopping and tourist neighbourhoods (although the hotel itself is on a quiet side street, guaranteeing a restful night). If you’re looking to cram in as much culture as possible, you’re in the right place: the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Grand Palais and Palais Galliera are just some of the galleries and museums within walking distance of the hotel.
Nearby
Le Clarence: for lunch or dinner at the best restaurant in Paris
Palais de Tokyo: for some of the city’s most exciting exhibitions of contemporary art and an exceptional bookshop specialising in art books and magazines
Parc Monceau: for a leafy stroll through one of Paris’s most beautiful parks
Time Out Tip
Stop by CopperBay on a Thursday for the weekly Vinyl Club session, which sees a carefully selected lineup of DJs take to the decks.