The Best Hotels in Paris

Flora Mikula, one of France’s rare female top chefs, has given up her gastronomic restaurant Les Saveurs de Flora to open her dream Paris place, a small urban auberge in the 11th arrondissement where travelers can mingle with les citoyens over delicious, affordable French-Mediterranean food. In the hotel, Paris designer Sebastien d’Evry uses vivid patterns and rich colors as a backdrop to rooms with street views. The rooms showcase vintage phones and objects from Mikula’s travels in Morocco and India. Individually decorated, they are categorized as Bohemian, Gardener, and Nature—themes inspired by the chef’s eclectic passions.

With the smallest room a sprawling 400 square feet, and suites and public spaces filled with original 18th- and 19th-century art and antiques, the George V, flagship of the Four Seasons chain, lives up to its billing as a palace, an official tourism category introduced in 2010 requiring establishments to “embody French standards of excellence and contribute to enhancing the image of France throughout the world.” Set in a 1928 art deco building, the Four Seasons Hotel George V boasts a regular clientele of bona fide royals, including Saudi princes who rent entire floors for six weeks at a stretch. The staff includes a team of flower designers led by an art director who worked on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. There’s also a dedicated concierge for children ordering up pint-sized bathrobes and private pastry-making lessons in the Michelin-starred kitchen.

With the latest three-year, 20-million-euro refitting, Paris decorator Pierre-Yves Rochon freshened the rooms, which are more sedate than the eye-popping ground-floor lobby. The lobby is one of the city’s most glamorous, with Flemish tapestries, large-format oil paintings, huge floral installations, and a parade of wealthy Russians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, and French businesspeople and brunching grand-mères. Fresh flowers and fruit baskets are artfully replenished daily, TVs have been installed in the bathroom mirrors, and there are now Nespresso machines for the self-sufficient.

The Generator brand was designed to attract cost-conscious, indie-minded travelers, and this flagship Paris location—opened in 2015 in the lively 10th Arrondissement—nails that mandate from the minute you check in under the flashing, theater-style marquee. A vibrant scene unfolds in the shared spaces, which include a garden conservatory, the lobby-level Café Fabien (outfitted with foosball and ping-pong tables), a rooftop lounge (ringed by hammocks, a bar, and Montmartre views), and a subterranean club with a Metro-inspired design. After working, mingling, or savoring a bite in the social areas, head up to one of the 920 beds, which are located either in private bedrooms (with private or shared baths) or hostel-style rooms (which sleep up to 10 in bunk beds and are available in co-ed and female-only configurations).

Crisp, Scandinavian-inspired décor rules throughout, and shared rooms come with useful touches like full-length mirrors, privacy screens, under-bed storage, and USB outlets; towels and bath products are available for an additional fee. Private rooms have desks and towels, while the top-category Premium Terrace option goes all-out with robes, toiletries, free water and snacks, and a small outdoor area. Everyone enjoys free Wi-Fi, making it easy to follow the new friends you made over drinks on the rooftop.

Many of the glories of the Right Bank are just a short walk from this five-star hotel, including the Louvre, Tuileries, Orangerie Museum, and the gardens of the Palais Royal, for which the hotel is named. That’s assuming you’ll want to venture out, though, as the 18th-century building’s luxe interiors—crafted by hotel design icon Pierre-Yves Rochon—make it easy to linger. Greenery and flowers fill the public spaces (both indoors and in the glass-walled winter garden), as do designer fabrics, bespoke furniture, and a mix of classical and contemporary artwork. A similar style is found in the 68 rooms and suites, which vary in size due to the shape of the historic building (some parts of which are landmarked), but all feature a bright design, soundproofed windows, free Wi-Fi, and Atelier Cologne amenities.

The on-site gym is small but well-stocked with Technogym equipment, Kinesis machines, and a Turkish-style hammam, and the Carita Spa has two chic rooms for face and body treatments, plus a beauty salon offering mani-pedis with eco-friendly Kure Bazaar products. Overseen by executive chef Jean-Baptiste Orieux, the Le Lulli restaurant offers seasonally inspired fine-dining for lunch Monday to Friday, while Lulli’s Bar is the place for all-day dining and drinks until 11 p.m.

After achieving tremendous success in Paris, London, New York, and Ibiza with the Experimental Cocktail Club and a handful of other nightlife hangouts, the three bons vivants behind the Experimental Group have expanded the concept into hospitality. Their first hotel is located in Paris’s most coveted neighborhood, South Pigalle, overlooking the Villa Frochot (Toulouse-Lautrec’s former abode). Unsurprisingly, these pioneers of the Paris cocktail movement have integrated their savoir-faire in top-shelf drinks. In fact, they go so far as to bill it a “bed and beverage” boutique hotel, which translates to custom cocktails offered in the ground-floor lounge, delivered straight to rooms, and available in guestroom minibars. To further drive their vision, the trio enlisted the talents of Dorothée Meilichzon, the city’s most in-demand interior designer, who has already directed the look and feel of each of the group’s establishments. Here, she applies her flair for mixing unique patterns and design styles to the cocktail lounge and rooms, kitted out with sumptuous velour sofas, black leather armchairs, and brass light fixtures. The result is a style that feels like understated Hollywood regency meets 1920s Parisian glam. While rooms afford less quiet and privacy than most design hotels, the (tolerable) din feels like a necessary component to the stay-up-late Pigalle experience.

Hilton’s reentry into the heart of Paris is nothing short of majestic. After a $50 million design overhaul, the 125-year-old hotel, made for the 1889 World’s Fair, has been revived to its 19th-century splendor with a contemporary twist. Formerly the Grand Hotel Terminus and the Concorde Opéra Paris, the property’s landmark status—with its Haussmannian facade and elegant public spaces—demanded it be painstakingly preserved. Among the restored, original elements, the most awe-inspiring are the Corinthian columns, chandeliers, balustrades, hand-painted frescoes, and marble and mosaic tiling. Fortunately, the bar takes pride of place among them, making it the ideal spot to start your stay with a cocktail or glass of wine.

The style in each of the rooms breaks with the traditional stark-white modern codes of most business hotels. Here it incorporates warm accent colors and textiles. With few heritage elements left to preserve, the sense of place is woven in with custom etchings of iconic Paris scenes hung behind each bed. But you won’t be spending much time here, as the action happens in the grand salon.

This designer budget hotel, set in a former brothel, is the brainchild of Andre Saraiva, a graffiti artist and nightlife entrepreneur who worked with Parisian artists and designers to pull off an edgy balance of style and substance. Rooms, which are on the small side, are painted in unconventional palettes and decorated with graffiti, and curated flea market and auction finds, vary in their level of provocation, though each could double as a contemporary art gallery installation or soft-porn concept store. While traditional services are nonexistent, the hotel is perfectly located for exploring SoPi, the more upper-crust residential part of the 9^th arrondissement just south of the transvestite cabarets and tourist zones of Montmartre, where classical mansions and 19th-century buildings are being colonized by young Parisians and expats opening bars, restaurants, vintage shops, and fashion boutiques. The restaurant that occupies most of the lobby and garden is a perennial favorite among Parisians of all ages for dinner and Sunday brunch.

“Feels like home” is a qualifier commonly used to describe boutique hotels, but few live up to the promise. Hotel Crayon Rouge, the little sister of Hotel Crayon just around the corner, drives the homey atmosphere with a number of clever features: an honesty bar and cheerful open-plan kitchen with a readily stocked fridge accessible for late-night cravings, an intimate lounge in the entry, used books on bedside tables, and reading lights in bathrooms. Colorful guestrooms are like fantasy bedrooms, with retro-chic style, graphic illustrated wallpaper, antique furnishings, and vintage decorative touches. Though rooms are compact, smart use of mirrors make them feel more spacious. The design of the property was masterminded by artist Julie Gauthron and is framed subtly around wine, the owners’ passion. You’ll find playful wine-themed wallpaper in the lounge, lamps in cork oak above the reception desk, and wine and whiskey carafes above the Rouge Bar dining table. Complimentary charcuterie is available in the Rouge Bar with the purchase of a glass of wine at apéro hour each evening.

Steeped in history, this Parisian landmark was commissioned by King Louis XV in 1758, though it didn’t open as a hotel until 1909. Since then, it’s seen such notable guests as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Leonard Bernstein, Madonna, and more pass through its doors on Place de la Concorde. Designed in the grand, neoclassical style, it reopened in 2017 as the Hôtel de Crillon after a significant four-year renovation, which revamped most of the public spaces in the luxurious 124-room building. The new lobby feels airier—thanks to higher ceilings—yet more intimate, made possible by converting the formerly open space into a series of sitting rooms. Also new to the hotel is the 28-seat fine-dining restaurant L’Ecrin, a Sense spa with treatments inspired by centuries-old French remedies, and a jewel-like, glass-ceilinged pool. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld even designed the two most luxurious suites, the fourth-floor Les Grands Appartements, adding bespoke furniture, his own artwork, and over-the-top bathrooms and dressing rooms.

To stay at this three-story courtyard hotel in the historical heart of the Latin Quarter is to be surrounded by intellectual giants: the ghosts of figures such as René Descartes or James Joyce, who each lived nearby, and by present-day students and teachers at the most elite universities and high schools of Paris. The youngsters’ extracurriculars—café lounging, bar hopping, and vintage record, book, and clothes shopping—give the quarter a unique mix of history and life.

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles occupies three 19th-century houses along a private cobbled passageway leading to a courtyard garden. Old-fashioned in the best sense, one of the charms of the place is that the compound feels like an escape to a French granny’s country cottage. Small by American standards, rooms done in toile or floral fabrics exude classic Gallic charm; French cotton lace and matelasse drapes the sitting tables and beds. Bathrooms are immaculate but simple, with either shower or bathtub and toilet.

If you find yourself at the pointy intersection of two 17th-century buildings in the 3rd Arrondisement, under a landmarked “Boulangerie” sign from one of Paris’ earliest bakeries (where Victor Hugo used to get his bread), you’ve arrived at this charming four-star hotel. Past the low-profile entry lie eclectic, eye-catching interiors designed by fashion legend Christian Lacroix, starting with a ground-floor public space awash in swirl of bold colors, oversized armchairs, and theater-backdrop-style wallpaper. The décor varies between the 17 rooms, as the designer worked within the different sizes and shapes to create unique personalities, so you might be surrounded by animal-print wallpaper, yards of taffeta, fresco-style paintings, a wall decorated with patterned tiles, or a ceiling adorned with stars. Aside from the two cozy Comfort level rooms, most are decently sized, and all feature high-end linens and pillows, Hermès bath amenities, free Wi-Fi, and either a shower or tub.

Enjoy breakfast in the bistro, which becomes a guests-only bar on Thursday through Saturday nights, or hang out in the lobby lounge with something from the honor bar and one of the MacBooks and iPads available on loan from the front desk. Complimentary bikes are on hand when you want to explore the lively Marais or head over to sister hotel, Le Pavillon de la Reine, to make use of its spa and gym.

Among the increasingly trendy streets of the Upper Marais, this intimate hotel offers a refreshingly low-key place to unpack. Named for the classic Francois Truffaut film, and set in a former precious metal factory, Jules & Jim has a low-fi artistic bent. The ground-floor lobby and bar—both set off a central, glass-roofed courtyard and garden—feature a rotating collection of works by local painters, photographers, and graphic artists, as well as residential-style seating and bookshelves lined with bric-a-brac. Spread over three structures, the 23 rooms range in size; the “Jules” options in the main building are the smallest and best for solo travelers, while the “Hi-Macs,” “Sous Les Toits,” and “Duplex” accommodations work better for two guests or longer stays. Some categories include perks like terraces, sofa-beds, Nespresso machines, and views of Montmarte, but all come with Bluetooth sound systems, free Wi-Fi, rainfall showers, and access to 24-hour room service (note that there are no mini-bars or fridges).

Amenities like the intimate bar (which spills out into the garden), art exhibits, and a regular calendar of events—from DJs and screenings to holiday parties—draw neighborhood residents as well as hotel guests. Those looking to explore Paris in style can reserve the hotel’s private 1961 Citroen DS, or book a cruise on the Seine in a vintage, Venetian-style water taxi. Also available through the hotel are day passes to a nearby gym, and food- and art-themed walking tours of the Marais.

Why we love it: Revived glam and rich history on the Left Bank

The Highlights:
- A prime location for exploring the Left Bank
- Lots of social spaces in which to see and be seen
- Updated rooms still boast loads of character

The Review:
Opened in 1910 by the family behind the iconic Bon Marché department store—then later owned by the Taittinger family of Champagne fame—this Left Bank landmark has served as a center of French culture and society for more than a century. From its early days hosting writers like Samuel Beckett, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce (who wrote Ulysses at the hotel), to serving as a jazz hub in the 1950s (with Miles Davis often in attendance), to hosting late-20th-century politicians, fashion designers, and filmmakers, the Lutetia has always lived up to its reputation as the only designated Grand Hotel on the “bohemian” Left Bank.

Even a legend needs an update every so often, however. A new member of The Set hotel group, the Lutetia reopened in the summer of 2018 following a four-year renovation led by noted architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Now, the original Art Nouveau–meets–Art Deco structure provides a backdrop for 184 enlarged rooms and suites, each with wood paneling, handblown Murano glass, and Carrara marble. The seven signature suites, which include two penthouses, also boast perks like private balconies and 360-degree views of the city. Enjoy a drink in the sophisticated Bar Aristide (with its two smoking rooms and cigar sommelier) or the chic Bar Josephine (named for actress and dancer Josephine Baker, another hotel regular), then find sanctuary in the glass-roofed Le Saint-Germain salon and its adjacent courtyard. L’Orangerie restaurant serves casual fare with a healthy, organic twist, while the sleek Lutetia Brasserie offers gourmet menus from three-Michelin-starred chef Gérald Passedat. Continue the indulgence at the brand-new, 7,500-square-foot Akasha Spa, with six treatment rooms, a pool and Jacuzzi, and a state-of-the-art gym.

After laying abandoned for more than 20 years, a historic Art Deco swimming pool and health club in the 16th Arrondissement has been reborn as one of the most unique hotels in Paris—one that even locals check in to when they want a quick getaway. Now part of the MGallery by Sofitel collection, the property feels much like an urban resort thanks to its location—while the city center and typical tourist sites are a metro ride away, the block-long hotel sits right in the middle of attractions like the Jean Boulin stadium, Parc de Prince, the Roland Garros tennis center (home of the French Open), the Auteuil racetrack, and Bois de Boulogne Park. Design-hounds also love the place for its eye-catching, very Insta-worthy spaces, including the vibrant reception area (with its graffitied Rolls Royce installation) and the lobby-level brasserie and bar (done up in restored Art Deco elements, a mix of contemporary and flea-market furnishings, street-art-inspired murals, and colorful modern artwork).

Heated for all-year use, the outdoor, Olympic-sized pool is surrounded by vintage-style deck chairs and blue and yellow guestroom doors, which once led to the pool changing cabins. More selfie backdrops—plus drinks, light bites, and live DJs—can be enjoyed at the rooftop bar, which has become a popular summer hangout. Additionally, the hotel offers a 16,000-plus-square-foot wellness club with an indoor pool (the restored original from 1929), gym, extensive class offerings (including a number of in-pool workouts), and private trainers, and a beautiful Spa by Clarins with 13 treatment rooms, a hammam and sauna, and a Shu Uemura hair salon. After you’ve seen it all, retreat to one of the 124 rooms and suites, designed by Jean-Philippe Nuel in a crisp, contemporary style. Each room comes with a Nespresso machine, Bose dock station, and Clarins bath products, while suites have extras like separate living rooms and large furnished terraces. Windows or balconies frame views of the city or pool, providing even more photo ops.

At the nexus of fashion, art, and politics on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Le Bristol so embodies French l’art du vivre that its pampered Burmese cat, Fa-Raon, sports a collar by Goyard and a sterling name tag by Christofle. The first hotel in France to be awarded palace status, it occupies nearly an entire block, steps from the presidential residence and major embassies. Luxurious amenities abound—a 13,000-square-foot garden offers a serene, flower-filled retreat, while an indoor rooftop pool, reserved exclusively for guests, has views of the Eiffel Tower and Montmarte. Throughout the hotel, six years of refurbishment, completed in 2014, added even more marble, precious woods, and luxury textiles, heightening the 18th-century French style without compromising the discreet, competent service for which the hotel is known.

This is the kind of place where staff members greet guests by name and work the month before arrival to secure hard-to-score tickets and restaurant reservations. One hardly needs to go out, however, as the hotel’s restaurants, wine tastings, fashion shows, and weekend live DJs at Le Bar du Bristol anchor French high society. In fact, Epicure, chef Eric Frechon’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant, is continually booked for lunch and dinner by the capital’s movers and shakers, all of them vying for the black truffles imported from Périgord, the caviar from Sologne, and the freshly caught whiting fish from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. Frechon is also behind the menu at Café Antonia, known for its breakfast and natural juices, as well as at the Michelin-starred 114 Faubourg Brasserie, where classic French dishes are served with a modern twist.

Perfect for exploring the trendy 10^th arrondissement, Le Citizen Hotel overlooks the Canal Saint-Martin, footsteps from where Amélie skipped stones in the French movie of the same name. The location is convenient for walking or using public transportation to get to famous sites, but why leave this gentrifying neighborhood? The restaurants and shops have become a boho magnet, and the monuments, such as Henry IV’s early 17th-century Hospital St Louis (built to treat victims of the plague), offer much beauty and history without the tourists.

Narrow guestrooms have multiple windows and are laid out to take advantage of canal views. The design sensibility is Nordic, with bright colors, pale woods, and modular furniture. If you didn’t bring an iPad, the hotel offers loaners.

What kind of hotel might attract such diverse guests as Pablo Picasso and Elizabeth Taylor, Mata Hari and FDR, Queen Victoria and Jay-Z, Tchaikovsky and the Olsen Twins? The answer is Le Meurice. Opened in 1815 as one of the world’s first five-star hotels, this icon near the Tuileries Garden has long appealed to both the posh and creative sets; its ties to the art world are particularly strong, having hosted Picasso’s wedding dinner and served as Salvador Dalí’s Parisian pied-á-terre for over 30 years.

For recent renovations of the public spaces, interiors guru Philippe Starck and his designer daughter, Ara Starck, took inspiration from Dalí for some of the more playful touches (like the quirky portraits of 18th-century personalities painted on the backs of leather seats). In the 118 rooms and 42 suites, designer Charles Jouffre maintained a French classical style, with traditional and antique furnishings, rich fabrics, Garnier Thiebaut linens, deep-soaking tubs, and—in higher-category rooms like the Pompadour Suite—oak floors and fireplaces. All guests enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, water, fruit, and a welcome amenity of Alain Ducasse chocolates, while kids score with dedicated Le Petit Prince goodies. Rub elbows with your (possibly famous, definitely chic) other guests at the traditionally French Restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse, the Mediterranean-flavored Dalí Restaurant, or the clubby Bar 228, where legendary barman William Oliveri crafts excellent cocktails surrounded by oversize 1907 Lavalley frescoes. Also worth visiting is the lovely spa, which pampers with products from Swiss line Valmont.

An ivy-covered, 17th-century mansion near the beautiful Place de Vosges is now the site of an intimate, five-star hotel. A favorite of sophisticated travelers who value privacy over hype, Le Pavillon de la Reine (named “Reine” in homage of a stay by Queen Anne of Austria) features striking interiors that blend original architectural details and aristocratic portraits with bright colors and contemporary furnishings. The 56 rooms and suites are similarly posh, with touches like patterned wallpaper and textiles, antique chandeliers, marble mantles, and flower-filled window boxes, plus luxe Codge bath products. Each boasts a slightly different style of décor, from classic to modern, so book accordingly if you have a preference. Facilities are fairly limited—the recently launched Restaurant Anne serves lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, and the two-room spa offers signature Codage treatments—but the great location in the Marais means there’s plenty to enjoy just outside the doors of your private mansion retreat.

Husband-wife duo Yves and Claudine Camdeborde got their start as industry pioneers with their restaurant La Régalade, the city’s first “neo-bistro” (a trend marked by high-quality cooking at an accessible price point), which they ran for 12 years. Since 2005, their acclaim has come from their Relais Saint-Germain hotel-restaurant combo located in the beating heart of Saint-Germain. The hotel blends quaint Parisian style with a just-like-home atmosphere.

The design goal was to preserve the 17th-century soul of the building, keeping its original, exposed beams and stones and blending antique furnishings and old parquet floors with avant-garde decorative elements and rococo textiles hand-picked by Mme. Camdeborde. The result is an urban inn that guests would want to return to year after year. Each of the 22 rooms bears the name of a celebrated writer inspired by Paris—from Madame de Sévigné to Marcel Proust—and a unique aesthetic theme (Asian, African, Louis III) in a nod to the neighborhood’s literary past. What unites them is an intimate vibe that instantly makes guests feel at home.

The façade may be classic, the doormen crisp, and the location tony, but once inside Le Royal Monceau, you’ll feel an independent, unexpectedly edgy spirit running through this luxury hotel. Opened in 1928, the historic spot, now part of the Raffles collection, underwent a complete renovation in the mid-2000s, overseen by interiors master Phillipe Starck, who—true to form—filled the spaces with contemporary style, dramatic flair (like oversized lobby sculptures and a stairwell adorned with dozens of chandeliers), and over 350 pieces of art, many culled from the hotel’s private collection. Art is a big focus here overall: along with a well-stocked art-library-cum-bookstore (which draws a lot of gift-seeking locals) and an on-site showroom curated by local gallerists (recent shows have spotlighted street artists, from Basquiat to Banksy), there’s a resident Art Concierge—the first in Paris—who can create bespoke itineraries for guests and arrange for special access, studio tours, and VIP experiences (including, with enough notice, an after-hours visit to the Louvre).

Unique art and photography also feature prominently in the 85 rooms and 64 suites, accenting Starck-designed furniture, walls of mirrors, marble bathrooms with Clarins products, and quirky touches like acoustic guitars and kids’ amenities from Bonpoint. A mobile recording studio can be set-up upon request, making the top suites favorites of musicians (including Kanye, Celine Dion, and Beyonce), while a cushy downstairs screening room hosts weekly movie nights and other events. Dining options include excellent Japanese fare at Matsuhisa (which also offers sushi-making classes), Michelin-starred Italian at the gorgeous Il Carpaccio, a decadent weekend brunch at La Cuisine (which draws crowds of locals), cigars and spirits at Vinales Lounge, and light bites and late nights at Le Bar Long. Work it off in the longest luxury hotel pool in Paris (it’s just over 75 feet), or relax with a custom facial or body treatment at the Spa My Blend by Clarins.

Though the Pigalle neighborhood has mostly shaken off its red-light reputation, the bon vivant spirit of the area’s past has been elegantly revived at Maison Souquet. The owners gave carte blanche to Jacques Garcia, the venerated French designer with a passion for Belle Époque interiors, who masterfully reworked the early 1900s design codes to bring to life the space, itself a former pleasure house. As during the heyday of these maison closes, which brought together artists and socialites, Garcia created an intimate, multi-room layout, meant to take guests from one stage of the experience to the next. It begins in the entrance lounge bedecked in Moorish tiles and Cordovan leather, leads into the Salon des Petits Bonheurs (Little Delights), where you’ll find the bar, and ends under the glass canopy of the Jardin d’Hiver (Winter Garden), which also doubles as the breakfast lounge.

Bedrooms, each named after a famous courtesan, vary in style (oriental, Napoleon III velveteen, Empire, Indian), but most are done up in plush drapery, and original artwork. It’s the cunning details, from antique furnishings and heart-shaped lamps designed by Garcia exclusively for each room, that transport guests to an era of boundless joie de vivre. Rooms feel pocket-sized by American standards, but make the most of the stunning public spaces.

Mama Shelter’s owners, who launched the Flèche d’Or indie rock club across the street, turned an outlying location in the 20^th arrondissement into an advantage. They enlisted Philippe Starck to design the restaurant, bar, pizzeria, and summer rooftop terrace—which now attract poets, artists, and counterculture types from across the city. The hotel’s street cred is still intact years after the 2008 opening, and the decor—black ceilings turned into graffiti chalkboards bearing literary quotations; Mexican wrestling and Halloween masks turned into lamp shades; tree trunks used as stools—remains relentlessly hipster without being overwhelming; guests could be young parents with sleeve tattoos toting baby carriers in the elevators.

This is truly a budget-priced hotel, but the management doesn’t skimp on smart luxuries: comfortable beds and linens, free Wi-Fi, wall-mounted iMacs for free movies and video editing on demand, and even microwaves for heating, say, that wonderful foie gras–stuffed quail purchased from a neighborhood traiteur. The savvy traveler lifestyle extends to the hotel concept shop selling motorcycle helmets for guests who want to look fashionable while renting a hotel scooter. For more leisurely budget sightseeing, guests take the No. 76 bus, which stops in front of the hotel on the way to the Louvre.

The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme opened in 2002 at the heyday of Asian minimalism, with American architect Ed Tuttle employing dark woods, taupe silks, and clean-lined furniture to transform the grand, 19th-century former headquarters of the Paquin fashion house into one of the city’s most luxurious business hotels. It’s accented with modern French touches such as bespoke sculpted bronze door and cabinet fittings, underfloor heating, French limestone soaking tubs, and rain showers with Blaise Mautin toiletries. Amid other services, airport pick-ups in a Bentley Continental or Rolls Royce Phantom helped win over tourism officials who granted the hotel its current palace status, a grade above a mere five-star rating. Still steadily occupied, but often as hushed as a bank vault, the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme is a calm, elegant counterpoint to the nearby Palais Garnier Opera House and blingy Place Vendôme, epicenter of the city’s jewelry district. It’s been a home away from home for many celebrities and it’s a haven for regular business travelers of all industries.

Coco Chanel famously made the Ritz Paris her home for 34 years, but the grandest hotels need a little brightening once in a while. The Ritz, which originally opened on Place Vendôme in 1898, reopened in 2016 after a four-year, $450 million renovation. Starchitect Thierry Despont wisely retained iconic features like the red entry carpet and the hotel’s signature amber scent, but he incorporated brighter fabrics to the public rooms, subtle touches like a heightened lobby ceiling and the addition of peaceful landscaped gardens, and bold statements such as a retractable glass roof on the patio. Overall, too, the number of guest rooms was reduced to 142, and the number of staff was raised to 630. Guest rooms are light and airy, with cream walls, Empire furniture, swags of floral silk fabrics, and marble fireplaces with gilt details. Some rooms have balconies, perfect for morning coffee. Down in the Ritz Club, the pool, serenely set in a columned art deco room, is long enough for laps. The Chanel au Ritz Paris is the brand’s first freestanding spa, with treatment rooms featuring (of course) Chanel skin care and beauty products.

The former residence of Napoleon Bonaparte’s grandnephew, on a hill leading down to the Seine next to the Trocadéro, has been converted into this striking palace hotel whose airy, light-filled spaces by Pierre-Yves Rochon showcase European Empire and minimalist Asian decorative influences in a manner some French traditionalists find refreshing, others eccentric. The location is a bit of a desert when it comes to shopping and dining. However, culture-minded guests love the cluster of less touristy beacons within a two-block radius.

Many rooms in the Shangri-La Paris have unimpeded views of the river, and some have Eiffel Tower views from the bathtub. The second-floor historic rooms, with alabaster columns, stained-glass windows, and coats of arms bearing bees and “B” for Bonaparte, have become a popular venue for society baptisms.

Much like when it picked then-up-and-coming Shoreditch for its first London hotel, The Hoxton brand put its Paris outpost in the heart of the 2nd Arrondissement, a booming neighborhood thanks to the arrival of several millennial-focused start-ups and tech firms. The 18th-century building’s position is also convenient for exploring the city, as attractions like the Louvre, the Marais, and Notre-Dame are a pleasant walk away. Back at home base, you’ll find eclectic interiors courtesy of the Soho House team, with original architectural details like spiral staircases and mosaic floors sharing space with vibrant floral wallpaper, mid-century-inspired furnishings, and hand-picked contemporary artwork. It’s all in keeping with The Hoxton’s emphasis on shared social spaces, so along with the comfy lobby lounges, you’ll find guests hanging out in the Rivié brasserie (which serves all-day menus of French fare and comfort food classics in both indoor and courtyard areas) and the cozy Jacques Bar (where Moroccan influences show up in the décor and the drinks list).

The 172 rooms can run small (the four sizes range from Shoebox and Cosy to Roomy and Biggy), but they do have cushy beds topped with geometric-patterned sheets, walk-in showers, lovely chevron timber flooring, and—in the larger options—terraces or garden views. You won’t find amenities like robes and slippers, but guests do enjoy standard Hoxton perks like a free daily breakfast bag, complimentary Wi-Fi and international calling, and minibars stocked with free water and milk (more items are available at the front desk at regular supermarket prices). Late checkout can be enjoyed for an additional €10 per hour.