Le Meurice (Le Meurice)
Plaza Athénée (Plaza Athénée)
The city might be known for its lights, its invention of Michelin-starred cuisine and haute couture. But here’s the other thing about Paris: Its climb to the pinnacle of excellence is never-ending.
With approximately 27 million visitors a year and its status as the third-most-visited city in the world, Paris knows better than most how fierce the competition between luxury hotels can be. And in late 2010, royalty was restored when the French Government introduced the “Palace” class rating — taking French hospitality back to the days of Louis the XIV.
France’s separation of the haute crème from the numerous five-star hotels has created a scrum at the top. How sought-after is the Palace designation? And how important is maintaining it? So much so that some of the city’s most iconic hotels have closed or will close for multi-year renovations to ensure that they remain exemplary.
So far only six Parisian resorts have been deemed worthy of this gilded Palace title — and the debate about the merits of the chosen ones can be as intense as Paris Saint-Germain vs. Marseille football battles. For now, the hotels that have risen to the absolute acme are Hôtel Le Bristol, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Le Meurice, Park Hyatt, Four Seasons Hotel George V and Le Royal Monceau Raffles. (The latter, with its modern Philippe Starck design, ascended to this elite tier in June.)
If you check into one of these hotels expecting the royal treatment, you won’t be disappointed. Here are the highlights of the big three, what we consider the grandest Palaces.
Hôtel Le Bristol
Walking into the Hôtel Le Bristol is like walking into your palace away from your palace. Just a few blocks from the main buzz on Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the hotel is tricked out with a pool designed by Aristotle Onassis’s shipbuilder, a serious three-Michelin-starred restaurant run by Eric Frechon called Epicure, a La Prairie Spa fully prepped to give a facial of a lifetime and even a housecat named Fa-raon (properly pampered with both a bow-tie collar and a food bowl designed by Goyard) welcoming you every time you come “home.” Opened in 1925, the hotel features 118 rooms and suites that each have their own, 18th century-inspired design. This summer marked the completion of a four-year, $196 million-plus upgrade that resulted in the unveiling of 29 renovated rooms as well as the 3,200-square-foot Royal Suite. In addition, during Fashion Week, the house bar transitions into the Bazaar Bar for couture-clad guests. An incredible part of the hotel is the stunning glass and wrought-iron grille built around the main elevator, designed, in gratitude, by Jewish architect Leo Lerman, who found refuge here during World War II. An immovable and unstoppable force, this hotel, part of the Oetker Collection, has maintained its relevance while never shutting down for a renovation. That’s royally impressive. (112 Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré, rooms from $1,264, lebristolparis.com)
Le Meurice
The granddaddy of them all, nicknamed the “Hotel of Kings,” Le Meurice was originally created in 1771 by upper-class British travelers who crossed the Straits of Dover. In 1835, Le Meurice opened in its current location on Rue de la Rivoli across from the iconic Tuileries Gardens. A regular destination for the aristocracy, it is even said that Napoleon built a secret tunnel from the Louvre to the original Le Meurice in order to meet a lover. And while Picasso might have hosted his wedding dinner at the much beloved hotel, it wasn’t until the King of Spain, Alphonse XIII, a regular patron, introduced Salvador Dalí to Le Meurice, that an artist’s legacy would soon ensue. Dalí spent about one month each year for over 30 years in the old Royal Suite and largely influenced the current design of the hotel and its cuisine. In fact, Le Meurice just unveiled its renovation of the Presidential Suites and the Dalí Apartment designed by Charles Jouffre. Restaurants include Le Dalí, situated under a massive, 1,560-square-foot canvas painted by Ara Starck, daughter of Philippe Starck, who redesigned the hotel in 2007. And the Le Meurice fine-dining restaurant already boasts three Michelin stars and could become an even more rarefied destination when Alain Ducasse takes over all of the hotel’s kitchens in September. The hotel, part of the Dorchester Collection, also recently debuted its newly refurbished Spa Valmont after a four-month revitalization. A haven of tranquility extending over 3,658 square feet, Valmont offers products renowned for anti-aging ingredients. It’s an essential spot in Paris for those who wish to maintain their royal appearance. (228 Rue du Rivoli, rooms from $975, lemeurice.com)
Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Perhaps it is the hotel’s amber-saturated ambiance or the distinction of a 100th anniversary, but the sen sation upon entering the Plaza Athénée is nothing short of magical. With its rouge awnings lined with dripping geraniums, unparalleled views of the Eiffel Tower and, of course, Carrie Bradshaw’s Parisian home in the “Sex and the City” finale, Hôtel Plaza Athénée offers an original charm that is elegant all the way. All 211 rooms and suites in the Dorchester Collection property face either onto the chic bustle of Avenue Montaigne or the spectacular, ivy-walled courtyard, which transforms into an ice-skating rink come winter. To make the mark of a true Palace hotel, customer service transcends with a 2.5-1 employee-to-guest ratio. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art Dior Spa that is as much of a must-visit as the property’s three-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant. But you only have until Oct. 1 to get your fix because the hotel will be shutting down until May 2014 for an expansion including six new guestrooms, eight suites, a ballroom and two event spaces. A grand auction sale of the hotel’s many historical pieces will be available for public viewing in October for those seeking to own a piece of the legendary Plaza. (25 Ave. Montaigne, rooms from $940, plaza-athenee-paris.com)
ON THE CUSP
Who will be the next recipients of the prestigious Palace rating? Here are our top contenders.
Ritz Paris: Located in the heart of Place Vendôme, the Ritz Paris was founded in 1898 and was reportedly the first hotel in Europe to provide electricity for each room and an en-suite bathroom. With suites and bars named after customers including Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway, it makes perfect sense that the hotel has been the high-heel stomping grounds of Anna Wintour and the rest of the Vogue team during Fashion Week. For the food-world elite, L’Espadon is a globally renowned restaurant attracting aspiring chefs from all over who come to learn at the adjacent Ritz Escoffier cooking school. The hotel closed in August 2012 and plans to reopen July 2014.
Hôtel de Crillon: This historic luxury hotel opened in 1909, occupying a landmark building commissioned by King Louis XV in 1758. Hôtel de Crillon strikes gold with its location situated at the foot of the Champs-Élysées just in front of the Place de la Concorde. Before closing down in 2012, the Crillon boasted 103 guest rooms and 44 suites. It also hosted a Vogue Bar during Fashion Week. The hotel plans to complete renovations in 2015.
While the Ritz and Crillon are taking measures to prepare their premises for Palace standards, it seems new competitors Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-La are pushing just as hard. All’s fair in impeccable hospitality and war.