Le Bristol Paris

For its nearly 100-year history, Le Bristol has been known as the best of the best. The iconic hotel, the first "Palace Hotel" in the country, is consistently ranked one of the top -- and very often the top -- hotels in Paris. Once the private noble mansion, the property was purchased in 1923 and christened Le Bristol after an 18th-century earl famous for his discerning taste and love of luxury. The hotel opened its doors two years later, and immediately attracted the high society of the day. In 1978, after half a century of being run by the same family, Le Bristol became part of the Oetker Collection, the high-end hotel group who owns Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes.

The hotel's significance cannot be overstated. Le Bristol was the first hotel in France to receive the elite "Palace" designation. During World War II, the hotel became the home-base for the American Embassy and Americans living in Paris. Over the decades, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Charlie Chaplin, Gwyneth Paltrow, George Clooney, and Prince have all been among the hotel's devoted fans. In 2011, the hotel took a star turn in the film "Midnight in Paris."

Le Bristol retains every drop of its original glamour, with original art, tapestries, Persian rugs, and Louis XV and Louis XVI furnishings. (Keep an eye out for Fa-Raon, Le Bristol's fluffy white Burmese cat -- with a Goyard collar, of course -- curled up on a lobby chair or sunning in the fully enclosed private garden.) A grand marble staircase wraps around a (still functioning) finely wrought-iron birdcage elevator -- designed and gifted to the hotel by the architect Leo Lerman during World War II. The hotel's head florist, Philippe Guillot, uses more than 10,000 blooms a week to create gorgeous, ever-changing floral arrangements that add even more visual splendor. A six-year refurbishment project was completed in 2018.

The legendary, lavish Le Bristol attracts business travelers with generous expense accounts and well-heeled couples and families, who appreciate the spacious rooms and kids' programming (and full-time feline resident). All guests are doted upon by Le Bristol's 500-member-strong staff.

Le Bristol Paris has a fantastic location within walking distance to many of Paris' top sites including the Arc de Triomphe, Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, and Musee d'Orsay. The hotel sits on the glamorous Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, one of the most fashionable streets in the world thanks to the presence of major fashion names such as Hermes and Lanvin. Haute couture aside, the hotel is within easy walking distance of Theatre Marigny (six minutes), the Grand Palais (eight minutes), Madeleine Church (12 minutes), and Place de la Concorde (15 minutes). The drive between Charles de Gaulle Airport and the hotel takes a little more than 30 minutes.

Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie is a three-level wellness center that caters to adults and their children. Of the eight streamlined, cream-and-tan-colored treatment rooms -- most with private terraces -- one is a couple's suite, one has Vichy showers, and one is dedicated to Tata Harper facials. Other facials use La Prairie products, while massages feature oils by KOS Paris or Tata Harper. Body scrubs begin with a private hammam session in the spa's Russian banya. The spa also offers reiki, meditation, mani/pedis, waxing, eyelash tinting, makeup, and hair services. Spa Le Bristol partners with the Parisian kids' clothing company Bonpoint, offering a play area called "Les Amis d'Hippolyte," gentle Bonpoint skin-care products, and a selection of parent-child treatments, including facials and massages. Le Bristol's fitness center features a sauna, steam room, and exercise equipment including Kinesis machines.

Designed by the architect of Aristotle Onassis’ yacht, Le Bristol's rooftop pool is a stand-out hotel feature in Paris. Encased in a sleek wood deck, the pool is designed to look like the prow of a boat; a trompe l'oeil mural at one end depicts a 19th-century sailboat in the Mediterranean, with Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the distance. Angled floor-to-ceiling windows let in natural light and outside is a roof deck with views over the Parisian rooftops. Eiffel Tower and Sacre-Coeur are both visible. The sixth-floor pool, as well as the steam room and sauna, are exclusively for Le Bristol guests. 

Le Bristol's pride and joy is its three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Epicure. (Epicure is one of 10 Paris restaurants with three Michelin stars.) The restaurant is overseen by Eric Frechon, a distinguished chef knighted (“Légion d’Honneur”) by the French president in 2008. Epicure's upscale -- and extremely expensive -- menu included stuffed macaroni with black truffle, artichoke, and duck foie gras; line-caught fish from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, and roasted Aveyron lamb chops. Garden seating is available during summer months. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Suit jackets are required for men.

Frechon is also at the helm of the one-Michelin-starred Le 114 Faubourg, an opulent, bi-level brasserie with dahlia-print wallpaper, an open kitchen, and a wine cellar. Occupying an old bank adjacent to the original building, the brasserie's stately atmosphere matches its classic menu of turbot a la plancha, roasted duck, and braised veal shank. Le 114 Faubourg is open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner nightly. On Mondays, the restaurant invites French winemakers to pair choice vintages with a special four-course meal prepared by Frechon.

The gorgeous Marie Antoinette-inspired lobby lounge, Cafe Antonia (named after the famous queen's childhood nickname), is open all day and serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. A portrait of Marie Antoinette by Francois-Hubert Drouais, part of the hotel's private collection, is on display. From May through October, the hotel serves lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, and cocktails in its central rose garden, with tables under white parasols. When booking, guests may add breakfast, which is served in the beautiful Epicure dining room and private terrace. Room service is available 24 hours a day.

Le Bristol's bar is considered one of the best in the world. The classic clubby space offers solid wood walls, plush sofas and chairs (including leopard-print stools), a fireplace, and original art, plus a menu of crafted cocktails and tapas by Frechon. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, Le Bar hosts "after dark" parties, when it transforms into a DJ-fueled speakeasy, complete with an entrance through the parking garage.

Paris luxury hotels aren't always kid-friendly, but Le Bristol is an exception -- a rather rare find in a city where most hotels are designed for romance. Here, it's the best of both worlds: Families are welcome and children staying at the hotel are given their own stuffed animal at check-in. The on-site kids' club, located right off of the spa, has plenty of toys and games, and staffers will plan fun kids' activities, such as scavenger hunts. The hotel also has its own resident cat, which is sure to please little ones.

A boutique off the lobby sells take-home versions of pieces found throughout Le Bristol, such as Raynaud china, the hotel's pillow mist, backgammon sets, and exclusive Le Bristol luggage. Five salons, as well as Le Bar, can be booked for private events, cocktail parties, and conferences. Salon Versailles has the highest occupancy (150 for a banquet) and is the most popular for weddings. The hotel will arrange private transfers or limousine service around Paris or even further afield in France or abroad, in E, S, or V Class Mercedes. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.