Rates: from €380 per night
Added extras: the indoor pool and Michelin-starred restaurant
Services: wifi, bar, restaurant, spa and pool
Having undergone two years of renovations, there’s no doubt this historic 150-year old establishment has taken on a new dimension by throwing itself into modernity. It fully embodies the new Parisian chic.
Much like the Plaza Athénée, the hotel posits itself as ‘haute couture’ - it’s next to the big fashion houses on Rue Saint-Honoré after all. This is reflected in the huge glass roof hanging above a universe which blends classicism and modernity using contemporary artworks by none other than Guy de Rougement. Expect high-end furniture, simple colours and flashy materials like – leather, Carrara marble and Paris stone. It’s all in perfect harmony and works well.
The 59 rooms and suites follow the same vein: discreet and refined. Communal areas are just as effective, like the cosy bar, which is home to a giant Baudelairian fresco of the ‘Fleurs de Mal,’ the winter garden and its inner courtyard (perfect for afternoon tea) and Guillaume Goupil’s Michelin-starred restaurant. The cherry on top of this gourmet cake is the 250m2 spa (including a hammam, sauna, fitness room and all kinds of treatments) as well as a 15 by 4 metre swimming pool. This is up there with the very finest Parisian palaces.