Le Bristol Paris, Oetker Hotels ★★★★★

Le Bristol Paris is an icon of French elegance and art de viver located at one of the city’s most prestigious addresses on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The first of only 31 hotels in France to receive the “Palace” distinction, the hotel is a brief walk from a handful of other iconic palaces, most notably the Élysée, the Grand Palais and the Louver. Now completely renovated, the 190 rooms and suites — among the largest in Paris — maintain all of their classic sophistication with furnishings from the Louis XV and Louis XVI eras and original artworks, complemented by a bright, contemporary palette of soft hues, sumptuous woodwork and noble interiors. Views to one side extend over Paris’s rooftops, all the way to the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre. To the other, a lush 13,000 square foot courtyard garden offers a soothing oasis of greenery and calm.

Le Bristol is perhaps best known for its outstanding dining tradition that the hotel has engendered for over 20 years. Epicure, Le Bristol’s premier dining experience for its tasting menu and award-winning wine list, has held 3 Michelin stars since 2009. 114 Faubourg, a classic brasserie-style restaurant, has maintained its Michelin star since 2013. The two restaurants offer a rarefied encounter with regionally sourced ingredients transformed into delicious dishes by expert hands, to be enjoyed with homemade ancient grain bread produced entirely in-house — from mill, to hearth, to plate.

A spirit of joie de viver permeates the hotel from early morning to after midnight. Café Antonia is a quiet refuge for a light meal or afternoon tea lavish with sweet treats by Head of Pastry Chef, taken either in the lobby bar or (season permitting) in the spectacular courtyard garden. As night falls, Le Bar du Bristol awakens, low lit in purple neon, for the utterly Parisian B.A.D. (Bristol After Dark) evening. The extraordinary rooftop swimming pool and outdoor sun terrace, a fully equipped fitness gym, a steam room and the award-winning The Spa Le Bristol by La Mer provide luxurious avenues of wellbeing to counterbalance the hedonistic pleasures. And, never overlooked, precious younger guests can enjoy spa treatments designed exclusively for children in collaboration with Bonpoint.

Genuine Parisian elegance since 1925.