For a long time I kept a secret guiltily. Not a guilty secret but a secret I felt guilty about keeping. The secret was the Hôtel Henri IV, overlooking the raked-gravel paradise that is the Place Dauphine on the Ile de la Cité. It was cheap and shabby but inexpressibly glamorous – a remnant of an elegantly careworn Paris that has, in the course of my own lifetime, been either polished beyond recognition or dissolved in a fast-flowing, irresistible current of money. The Henri IV was sold some years ago. Maybe I shouldn’t feel guilty about having kept it a secret. Simply spreading the word wouldn’t have been enough to save it. And in truth it was probably never quite as squishily ripe with promise as I remember it to have been. Yet isn’t that the point about hotels in Paris? The good ones are more than the sum of their parts, even when the parts are heavenly. The really curious thing is that, however many Henri IVs the city loses, it always seems, year after year, to gain even more of them.
For those picking a hotel in Paris, there are more options than one person could ever check into. But which are the very best stays in the city? Our editors have narrowed down the list to the best hotels in Paris for the ultimate weekender. For more options, see our edit of the best hotels with a view in Paris.
What are the best luxury hotels in Paris?
The Paris hotel scene is like some endlessly absorbent miracle sponge, and the latest crop is exceptional. The Cheval Blanc has an ambition to rival any of the great palace hotels, while Le Grand Contrôle at Versailles is in an actual palace (both have been reviewed before on these pages). The thrilling Saint James, with interiors by maximalist du jour Laura Gonzalez, is the city’s first officially designated château-hotel. But not all strive for opulence, or to ape the manners of the Meurice, the Ritz or the Bristol. The likes of Madame Rêve, Château Voltaire and Hôtel Rochechouart build on the sort of witty, unstuffy, urbane alternative to the palace hotel that was suggested in recent years by innovative French outfits such as the Experimental Group (Le Grand Pigalle, Hôtel des Grands Boulevards) and Evok (the Nolinski, the Brach). Many are breathing new life into unloved post offices, motels and department stores. There’s a particular chemistry involved, one that has to do with the often unexpected but pleasing combination of disparate elements. I happened to mention all of this to Sylvain Ercoli, managing director of the new Bulgari Paris – a man who, having previously managed Claridge’s, the Martinez and the George V, has seen it all. ‘Old charm with new energy,’ he said, summing it up to perfection.
Which hotels in Paris are good for families?
The glossy hotels of Paris might not all be the most child-friendly, but there are some addresses that welcome families with open-arms. At the top of the list is Four Seasons George V in the 8th arrondissement, a beloved landmark bolthole that welcomes little ones throughout the hotel, including all three Michelin-starred restaurants. There are sofa-beds and cribs in most of the suites, and family packages are also available. Also in the 8th arrondissement, tiny guests are treated to gifts upon arrival at Le Bristol, while the Le Bristol spa offers treatments designed for parents and children to enjoy together.
