The 52 Best Hotels in Paris
The very best hotels in Paris encourage lingering. Whether you’re in the City of Light for business, pleasure, or the 2024 Olympic games, there’s a Paris hotel to suit your style, mood, and budget—and to tempt you to stay longer. They occupy every kind of space, from repurposed historic mansions to barges on the Seine river, everywhere from the beating heart of the city to up-and-coming neighborhoods. And just when you think there couldn’t possibly be another new hotel to enhance the experience, one comes along to the Paris landscape alongside tried-and-true institutions to make a lasting impression. No matter what you’re looking for in this trip, our list of Paris's best hotels has you covered. Feel like you can’t choose only one? That’s reason enough to return.
For more recommendations, see our pick of the best family-friendly hotels in Paris, and our edit of the best hotels with a view in Paris. For a more affordable stay, we've rounded up our favorite cheaper hotels in the city, along with a selection of some of the best Airbnbs in Paris to book right now.
Read our complete Paris travel guide here, which includes:
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind. This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
The best hotels in Paris 2024 at a glance:
- Best for families: The Peninsula Paris
- Best for views of the Eiffel Tower: SO/ Paris
- Best hotel near the Louvre: Le Meurice
- Best for couples: Cheval Blanc
- Best for peak luxury: The Ritz
All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Grégory Copitet/1 Place Vendômehotel1, Place Vendôme
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Hot List 2024Book here to get a fresh, exclusive, and full-service perspective on Paris’ regally glamorous 1st arrondissement. The city has plenty of dream hotels with Studio 54-style wait lists and storied suites with legendary patrons of yore that keep visitors coming, but 1, Place Vendôme brings a stealth-wealth elegance that’s quintessentially Parisian but infinitely more homey (especially for those accustomed to butler service). This is the first hotel from Swiss fine jewelry and watchmaker Chopard and the Scheufele family, who have owned the brand since 1963. A members' club as much as a hotel (it’s only accessible to guests and their visitors) it's a hushed enclave amid the irrepressible motion of the City of Lights. To top it all of, this is a hotel team that can make the seemingly impossible possible without missing a beat, like sourcing last-minute tickets for a sold-out exhibition; the invaluable level of service will always pivot around pleasure regardless of how much business is on the agenda. For a quintessentially Parisian experiences that prizes privacy over buzz and prefers classically styled haute home comforts to the theatre of a grande dame, this is a must-experience hotel.
Courtesy Small Luxury Hotels of the WorldhotelLe Pavillon de la Reine
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Gold List 2018 
Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019The Marais neighborhood’s Place de Vosges has often been called one of the most beautiful squares in the world, so it’s a good thing that this family-owned hotel’s ivy-covered, 17th-century façade fits right in. The insides are pretty photo-worthy, too: past the extensive private garden courtyard—a fairytale come to life when all lit up—the interiors by Didier Benderli of Kérylos Interiors mix Old World touches like original antiques, marble fireplace mantles, and richly-colored oil portraits of aristocratic faces with contemporary-styled furnishings and clean lines, resulting in a vibe that’s both plush and un-fussy. Take note: The 56 rooms and suites each feature a different style and décor, so be sure to ask in advance if you prefer antique over modern, or vice-versa.
Courtesy Hôtel Providence/Photo by Benoît LinerohotelHôtel Providence
$ | Hot List 2016 Readers' Choice Awards 2016, 2018This place is made for falling in love—with Paris, above all. Hidden away on a side street in the ever-evolving 10th arrondisement, this 19th-century townhouse has been impeccably crafted under the direction of Pierre Moussie, known for his upscale bistros, including the nearby Chez Jeannette. Bespoke doesn’t begin to cover it: every finish, fabric, and fixture has been hand-picked from a mix of contemporary, vintage, and flea-market finds, resulting in a atmosphere that’s at once refined and playful.
Jerome GallandhotelPavillon Faubourg Saint Germain
$$In the beating heart of historic literary Paris, this retro-chic five-star on the left bank cleverly plays up the writers and philosophers who have spent time both in the Saint-Germain neighborhood and the hotel’s previous incarnation. Books published by Gallimard, whose headquarters are a short walk away, abound in cozy lounges, from the moody library to the fireplace salon, and in guest rooms, setting an artistic tone throughout the hotel. All 47 rooms and suites feel like little apartments, each with Haussmanian high ceilings, crown moldings, plush 70s-style furnishings, parquet floors, curvaceous angles and decorative pieces (mirrors, pillows, bedspreads, wall lights, and more) and a slightly different color palette. Keeping with the retro-chic aesthetic, double basins in the bathroom are set within a custom-designed wood and brushed brass cabinet while the Terrazzo floor shifts nicely from the Chevron floors. Of course, the most spectacular of the rooms is the top-floor (aptly-named) Joyce Suite—nearly 753 square feet of space with exposed wood beams, two bathrooms, and unobstructed views over the rooftops of Paris.
Jérôme GallandhotelHôtel Madame Rêve
$$$ | Hot List 2022Located on a discreet corner near Les Halles in what was once Paris’s only 24-hour post office, Madame Rêve Hotel is where well-heeled guests spend the night in stylish rooms with monument views, or at the hotel’s 10,000-square-foot rooftop and restaurant, primed for peak summer socializing. This is as central Paris as you can get: Walk south a mere four blocks to the Seine and the newly reopened La Samaritaine department store; east to the spectacular Bourse de la Commerce Pinault Collection and Les Halles; west to Palais Royale and the Louvre. Essentially, you can’t sneeze without bumping into 1,000 years of Paris history and culture. The pedestrian thoroughfare rue Montorgueil is also nearby for all your artisanal desires, be it a box of chocolates from À la Mère de Famille or a specialty pastry from Fou de Patisserie. Guests here range from tattooed fashion designers to white-haired entrepreneurs in pink Saint Laurent sneakers. The 82 rooms give off Bond-meets-Balmain vibes, with onyx desks and tables, tan leather chairs, and sumptuous linens—and, if you choose wisely, views of the Eiffel Tower. Enjoy a sexy, dimly lit dinner at La Plume, a Franco-Japanese offering that’s definitely the property’s pride and joy.
Vincent LerouxhotelRitz Paris
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2020, 2024 Hot List 2017 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023César Ritz opened this limestone bastion of French hospitality in 1898 and, in the course of running it, he and his wife, Marie Louise, who would take over the business, flipped the industry on its head. It was the first hotel in Paris with telephones, the first to offer private baths, and the first to install electricity throughout the property. It was also one of the first places in town where women could come without chaperones and meet friends for five o’clock tea. From the start, The Ritz Paris has been a Grand Siècle-style hotel with a modern soul and, much as in 1898, change is afoot. It’s said that when he was too ill to dine out, Marcel Proust had chicken and potatoes sent over from The Ritz Paris—now those hallowed kitchens are home to their first female head chef, Eugénie Béziat. Chef Béziat was born in Gabon to French parents and spent her childhood in Africa, so the flagship restaurant, Espadon, features dishes such as chicken yassa, a Senegalese speciality, and barbecued lobster with cassava semolina. Meanwhile, down a warmly lit hall is Bar Hemingway, named for the American novelist who scrimped for a cocktail a week at The Ritz. Last spring, longtime head bartender Colin Field (inventor of the Clean Dirty Martini, served with an ice cube of olive juice) stepped aside, and his protégé Anne-Sophie Prestail, has come in from the wings. —Jo Rodgers
Ludovic Balay/Hôtel Dame Des Arts ParishotelHôtel Dame des Arts
$$$ | Hot List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2023The Quartier Latin is, of course, a famously artsy part of Paris—one with strong cinematic associations. But you needn’t have stumbled out of a screening room at the nearby Le Champo rubbing your eyes with one hand and clutching an issue of Cahiers du Cinéma in the other to appreciate what designer Raphael Navot has done with Hôtel Dame Des Arts. It’s all about the interplay between curved and straight lines, hard and soft textures, glossy and matte surfaces—you’ll inhale its essence the moment you step inside. Style-wise, the 109 rooms are similarly got-up in a way that is at once spartan and spoiling, chic and subdued. The in-house restaurant serves up elevated contemporary Mexican cuisine with fusion of French, Mexican, and Japanese flavors, while the 360-degree views from the rooftop bar alone are a reason to book. If your faith in Paris is flagging—which does happen but seldom lasts—a visit to the rooftop of Hôtel Dame des Arts will restore it. —Steve King
Ludovic BalayhotelHotel Rochechouart
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2022The carefree spirit of the roaring twenties lives on in this affordable and eminently fun eight-story Art Deco relic, with well-designed rooms, an elegant brasserie popular with locals, and a nightclub to keep the action going until late. The 106 rooms were given an autumnal, woody touch with burl wood headboards, curved armchairs or sofas, retro tiled bathrooms and alabaster suspension lamps, thoughtfully whisk guests to another time. The Sacré Coeur looms large from northern-facing room windows (and in some cases, balconies) but is accessible to all from the rooftop lounge bar. Be aware, if you don’t splurge on a suite, rooms will be compact in true Parisian style. The old-world brasserie on the ground-floor is destination among Parisians that has plush banquettes, soaring ceilings, and comforting Parisian classics like chicken liver pâté and roasted pork belly with crisp frites.
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Ludwig FavrehotelMolitor
$$Paris is a city of pools—in fact, it's home to 38 public swimming spots—but none have the history of the Molitor. On the edge of the sixteenth arrondissement (near Stade Roland Garros, where the French Open is held), this ocean liner-inspired complex was inaugurated in 1929 by two Olympic swimmers, the bikini debuted here in 1946, and you can thank the Molitor for the topless trend, born in 1968. If you've read Yann Martel's Life of Pi, you may remember that the novel's hero, Piscine Molitor Patel, or Pi, was named for the pool; its water was “so clear, you could make your morning coffee with it.” In 1989 the complex closed and, left derelict, became a canvas for graffiti artists, but after a $100 million investment, the Molitor is the city's latest cool hangout. Today's Molitor has faithfully replicated its two original pools, as well as the canary-yellow walls and blue changing-room doors, and added a restaurant, a spa by Clarins, and a rooftop garden terrace with views of the Eiffel Tower. The Molitor transports you to a world much closer to the beach than the Seine, andit's within most budgets, even at five stars—and comes with a host of sweet amenities, from the pools to views, to comfortable furnishings.
Benjamin Rosemberg/Maison ProusthotelMaison Proust
$$$ | Hot List 2023Step inside this gorgeously restored, six-story townhouse set back on a quiet street in fashionable Le Marais, and get immediately caught up in the enchantment. While themed hotels devoted to literary giants (in this case, French novelist Marcel Proust) may be nothing new, the 23-suite Maison Proust dedicated belongs to another rarefied category—one dedicated to an international, uber-stylish clientele who appreciate art, history, and—why not?—love. In other words, it’s perfectly okay if you’ve never read a single page of Proust. The subtle conjuring of the author is in the Belle Époque atmosphere, as glowing with exquisite detail as the writer’s haunting seven-volume masterwork In Search of Lost Time—an enveloping whoosh of exoticism—where, in the blink of an eye, you gaze in wonder at the sumptuously furnished salon/bar and slide a century back in time.
François HalardhotelChâteau Voltaire
$$$Previously the administrative headquarters for Zadig & Voltaire spanning three buildings from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the hotel is fashion designer Thierry Gillier’s first foray into the hotel industry. He tapped the right talents to bring his interpretation of Parisian elegance and hospitality to life, including the designers behind Festen Architecture known for skillfully updating historic spaces and designing hotels that feel more like private residences (such as Les Roches Rouges and Le Pigalle). There’s no standard room given that the property is composed of three different buildings from three different periods. But some details are shared, from fringed velvet furnishings, nature-inspired rugs, seashell light fixtures (which nod to the 16th century ornamentation on the hotel’s listed façade), bespoke headboards, solid oak wall lights, manor-style woodwork, and a soft, earthy color palette. The minibar is a compelling decorative touch on its own, set inside a dedicated cupboard and features an array of local, gourmet snacks, antiqued wine and cocktail glasses, and an anniversary edition of the 1935 Illy espresso machine for your morning and afternoon coffees.
Matthieu Salvaing/Saint James ParishotelSaint James Paris
$$ | Hot List 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019Set in a neoclassical former private residence and surrounded by a sizable structural garden, Paris’s only château-hotel underwent a radical decorative transformation last year—courtesy of Laura Gonzalez, who made it feel like a one-of-a-kind Parisian home once again. The 50 rooms and suites are perfect examples of Gonzalez’s maximalist design style: Think nature-inspired wallpapers, ornate moldings, and plush fabrics in mixed colors and textures. The wellness program also got a total reboot and was relaunched in 2021 as a three-room Guerlain spa, with large vaulted spaces, a stone staircase, and an aesthetic reminiscent of Greco-Roman thermal baths.
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Jérôme GallandhotelInterContinental Paris Le Grand
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018This tastefully refreshed icon facing the Palais Garnier boasts much gentler prices than the other five-stars nearby. The covered entrance to this Haussmannian-era dame is as grand as the many city blocks that the property occupies. Weave your way through the foyer, beneath an ornate chandelier and past plush armchairs and thick columns, and you’ll reach the hotel’s most iconic feature: a winter garden with a majestic glass canopy, where guests and Parisians alike gather for coffee or a light lunch. Given the property’s size—five miles of hallways and 458 rooms since the last 2021 renovation—it’s also popular among businesspeople and political delegations. It’s hard to find a better location than the Place de l’Opéra. The city’s historic department stores—Galeries Lafayette and Printemps—sit a block away, the Palais Royal Gardens and the Louvre are an easy 15-minute walk in the other direction.
Jerome GallandhotelKimpton St Honoré
$$In the shadow of the Palais Garnier, the hotel immediately draws onlookers with its preserved Belle Epoque façade, trimmed with turquoise metal, embellished with stylized floral patterns, marble panels, copper and wrought iron balconies, and arched bay windows that once housed product displays when it was a department store (more on that below). On the inside, soaring volumes and historic decorative touches serve as chic eye candy. This is the first Kimpton property in France and sets a high design bar in a listed Art Deco building on the historic Boulevard des Capucines. Much of the historic (former department store) interior remains intact; the imposing spiral stairway, interior balconies, mezzanine-level alcoves and monumental period elevators. But the design scheme throughout, led by local design darling Charles Zana, elegantly updates the Art Deco style of 1930s luxury hotels through French artisans to contribute to the Parisian pied-à-terre esthetic. Perhaps the most un-Parisian place in the building is the 190 seat Montecito restaurant designed by Humbert & Poyet that channels Palm Springs insouciance; the main dining room is built around a patio with a photo-worthy green wall, and furnishings pop in a refreshing seaside color palette. The Cali-inspired menu has dishes you’re not likely to find at other Parisian hotels such as fish tacos, crab cakes, and huevos rancheros for breakfast.
Courtesy Grand Hôtel du Palais RoyalhotelGrand Hôtel du Palais Royal
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023The Palais Royal Gardens are many people's favorite place in Paris. Their number two? The Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal, the only one in the area with views over the gardens. The 57 rooms and 11 suites, Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed confections of light greens, powdery pinks, velvet, leather, and silk, are managed more like they're part of a family-owned boutique property; really, it feels like a series of apartments, complete with elegant, understated design schemes, and just enough space to feel like you're at home. It's affordable luxury in one of the very best locations in the city. Another happy surprise is Le Lulli Restaurant, a fine dining option set in a beautiful, garden-inspired dining room.
Marianne Majerus/Le Bristol ParishotelLe Bristol Paris
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Yes, Le Bristol is grand—the polished marble, the Louis XVI armchairs, the boiserie-paneled walls—but it has never felt cold or stuffy. I tend to go for Paris Fashion Week, and any sense of froideur is eliminated with one stroke of Fa-raon, the fluffy white Burmese cat and unofficial hotel mascot (he’s since had a son and heir, called Socrate)—usually draped over the concierge’s desk. Le Bristol has had a stylish insouciance ever since it opened on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1925, and it held on to its gilded soul after a six-year facelift that was unveiled in 2018 by its owners, the Oetker Collection. Suites are about chandeliers, Pierre Frey fabrics, and a very pure devotion to comfort overlooking the wonderfully serene enclosed garden by Arabella Lennox-Boyd, with its geometric lawns, fountains, and osmanthus topiaries. Eric Fréchon’s macaroni with black truffle and duck foie gras at three-Michelin-starred Epicure is a thing of wonder, as is Café Antonia, where the fashion crowd all seem to order the green bean, artichoke, and hazelnut salad. The spa by La Prairie does possibly the best massage in Paris.
Courtesy Hôtel LutetiahotelHôtel Lutetia
$$$ | Gold List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Left Bank Art Nouveau institution Hôtel Lutetia now looks even better than it did during Paris's Golden Age when James Joyce wrote bits of Ulysses here. That's thanks to renovation architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte (and collaborators such as Francis Ford Coppola), who reopened the hotel in 2018, determined to honor the Lutetia’s former glamour. The 184 rooms include 47 suites, and feature Hermès silk throw pillows, Art Deco-style Poltrona Frau furniture, and Statuario marble bathrooms. Larger rooms have balconies with views of the Eiffel Tower, and, in keeping with Lutetia’s social legacy, special attention was given to the public spaces: The famous bar that lured artistic luminaries is now Joséphine (named for Baker, who was a regular) with a menu that includes Champagne-topped cocktails and croque-caviar sandwiches. At Brasserie Lutetia, Chef Patrick Charvet, a veteran of Michelin-starred kitchens (Les Trois Marches in Versailles and Grand Véfour in Paris) dishes out poached langoustines and aloe vera-soaked oysters. Exquisite pastries are served inside the sun-flooded Saint Germain salon, just as in Joyce’s day—but now under a graffiti-colored glass roof by conceptual artist Fabrice Hyber. Lutetia’s masterful restoration reminds us that this has always been a grande-dame city at its core.
Benoît LinerohotelHotel Les Deux Gares
$ | Hot List 2021On a quiet backstreet of Paris’s bustling Little India, where the heavenly aroma of curries simmering in restaurant kitchens hangs in the air, a six-story limestone corner building glints in the daylight near one of the city's oldest subterranean train stations as well as the Gare du Nord (hence the name). The first hotel designed by rising star Luke Edward Hall, Les Deux Gares has Hall’s playful optimism splashed all over the bold-hued rooms. The property effortlessly flits between styles and patterns to create a color-splashed world that’s theatrical, yet welcoming. Rates are a bargain by Paris standards, where a room with the slightest design flair will usually set you back double the prices here (at least)—the same also applies to the wonderful Café Les Deux Gares. The location is a more local spin on Paris, yet still within a 10-minute walk to the city’s trendiest areas.
Courtesy Mandarin OrientalhotelMandarin Oriental, Paris
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023Transport yourself out of Paris with this high-gloss hotel, where the past—charming, though it is—doesn't trump the present. You might call it another elegance; but it makes sense that this would be the case at a Mandarin, where the codes for 'luxury' are different, where guests and staff alike swear by impeccable service from start to finish; stylish modern decor; and high-class dining and spa options. The unapologetically modern Thierry Marx overseeing Sur Mesure and Camélia is another way to bridge the divide: having him on board is a clear nod to the local culture and culinary prowess, but his inventiveness and diverse culinary background matches the hotel's contemporary spirit. Another feature that sets Mandarin apart? The to-go Cake Shop located at the entrance to Camélia, one of the only properties in Paris that has this on offer.
Courtesy Le RochhotelLe Roch Hotel & Spa
$$$Reflecting its surrounding area—where the Tuileries gardens, Place Vendôme and iconic Colette boutique mingle with residential buildings and neighborhood schools and churches—Le Roch tempers high design and haute cuisine with a relaxed, unassuming vibe. The first hotel project for designer Sarah Lavoine, known for her Parisian boutiques and lifestyle product collections, the tucked-away hotel opened in 2016 (pronounced “la rock”) and nails the home-away-from-home feel.
Vincent LerouxhotelHôtel Le Grand Mazarin
$$$ | Hot List 2024Martin Brudnizki, the designer who has been everywhere this past year, is all about stories—and few are as seductive as the idea of an aristocratic-era literary salon in the Marais, just moments from the Seine and the Hôtel de Ville and opposite the BHV Marais, surely Paris’s most fun department store. At Le Grand Mazarin—from Maisons Pariente, the group behind chic stays such as Provence’s Hotel Crillon Le Brave—the sense is of being in a film about a sumptuous 14th-century hotel, all pastels and layers of velvet and embroidery; everything a little softer than other recent Brudnizki projects in Soho or on New York’s Fifth Avenue. It’s built in the round with a stunning glass atrium winter garden at its heart. A bijou indoor pool (a rarity in central Paris) is overlooked by a free-form forest mural by in-demand artist Jacques Merle, and the hammam and spa specialize in extra-speedy treatments. The restaurant, Boubalé, is run by Michelin-starred chef Assaf Granit with a menu paying homage to the Ashkenazi cuisine of his parents’ heritage: Kurdish kreplach cooked in beurre blanc, potato pierogi, pickled herring, and mamaliga (polenta). Tucked away in the basement is the perfectly dinky Le Bar de Boubalé, which oozes relaxed sophistication but with a dash of Wes Anderson–style whimsy. From $505. —Viv Groskop
Courtesy BrachhotelBrach
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2021The staid 16th (arrondissement) hasn’t exactly drawn new visitors over the years—so it’s a testament to the cool factor of Evok Hotels that the brand can take a former mail-sorting facility in this bourgeois, residential district and make it le talk of Paris. For one thing, the buzzing restaurant draws fashionable locals from breakfast until the early hours with its patisserie, shared plates, and potent drinks. A terrace bar lures pretty people, as does the rooftop vegetable garden, which doubles as a place to picnic and take in the view. A subterranean fitness club channeling the boxing gyms of the 1930s had a wait list the minute it opened, and even the swimming pool is over-the-top thanks to a killer sound system. The party continues in the rooms, each with its own mini concept store (the minibar is so 2018), stocked with pre-made cocktails. The design smacks of sassy eclecticism: walls covered in rich rosewood and leather, African masks and Maasai-style beadwork, and potted cacti next to the unfinished-marble bathroom sinks. Who knew that the 16th, of all places, would host the city’s next hip address?
Courtesy Nolinski ParishotelNolinski Paris
$$$ | Hot List 2017 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023The Nolinski feels almost too cool—in a good way—for the neighborhood. The Jean-Louis Deniot interiors balance an aristocratic look with playful touches (take the Grand Salon, which matches polished-brass Deco-style tables with an electric-teal piano). This is high-comfort too: a candle-lit spa awaits you downstairs, and you'll find a deep bathtub in your enormous bathroom. Almost everything is available for purchase, in case you fall so in love with the linens you need them at home. The location and the design are unbeatable, and they come at a price point far more accessible than Paris's Palace hotels.
Photo by Romain Ricard/Courtesy Hôtel PanachehotelHôtel Panache
$ | Hot List 2017This boutique charmer, set in a triangle-shaped 19th-century building at the intersection of two bustling streets. Designer Dorothée Meilichzon has crafted the lobby restaurant and lounge with lots of—dare we say it?—panache, with light from the oversized windows shining on mosaic floors, cushy navy and rust velvet seating, and book shelves that seem to glow from within.
The Peninsula ParishotelThe Peninsula Paris
$$$ | Hot List 2015 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022After sitting empty for decades, a former 1908 hotel has been transformed into the first Parisian outpost for the Hong Kong-based Peninsula brand—and one of Paris’s newest Palace-grade hotels. Four years of work by a stable of skilled artisans has resulted in airy, refined public spaces, where a muted cream palette is accented by restored original wood, decorative stone work, and 40,000 pieces of gold leaf. And with six in-house dining venues, you hardly have the venture out: Standouts include LiLi, serving Cantonese cuisine (including a range of dim sum); the sixth-floor L’Oiseau Blanc, a two-Michelin-star indoor/outdoor French restaurant themed around the early days of aviation; and Le Bar Kléber, where original 1908 oak paneling, oversized mirrors, and terrace views set a sexy scene for cocktails.
hotelLe Meurice, Dorchester Collection
$$$ | Gold List 2020, 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Ageless Le Meurice has always been tolerant of experimentation and eccentricity. No wonder it was Salvador Dalí’s favorite. Most of its suites, including the penthouse, Belle Étoile, have been redone in silk and velvet. Set just off the Tuileries Garden, the iconic spot—considered one of the first luxury hotels in the world when it opened in 1815—has a long history with the art world, from hosting Picasso's wedding dinner to, most famously, serving as the Persistence of Memory painter's Parisian home for over three decades. When renovating the Dorchester Collection hotel in 2016, father-daughter design duo Philippe and Ara Starck looked to Dalí for whimsical inspiration, so you'll now find classic elements like stately columns, marble-topped tables, and copper-rimmed mirrors balanced by original Eero Saarinen Tulip chairs and portraits of 18th-century personalities traced on the backs of leather seats. If you value location, are interested in design, and appreciate service that puts a premium on privacy, Le Meurice is worth the splurge.
Photo by Yolanda EdwardshotelRelais Christine
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2018Slip away from the lively cafés and chic boutiques of Saint-Germain-de-Prés, head down a quiet side street and through a leafy passageway and you’ll find one of Paris’s best-kept hotel secrets—and the regulars are inclined to keep it that way. Opened in 1979 in a 17th-century former private mansion (that itself was built on the vestiges of the 13th century Saint-Denis College of the Grands-Augustins Abbey), the hotel marries classic French design with contemporary materials and a fresh look dreamed up by designer Laura Gonzalez. If you want a memorable morning meal, you can have your coffee and croissant beneath the building’s vaulted cellar which doubles as the intimate breakfast room.
Paul BowyerhotelHotel Bachaumont
$After three years of renovations, the former Grand Hotel Bachaumont—which checked out its last guests in the ’70s—has been transformed into a local-loved, Art Deco dream. Designed by Dorothée Meilichzon, the breezy spaces are accented by black-and-white geometric tiles, marble floors, and sculptural furniture. Swap Instagram follows with a young, buzzy crowd of foodies, trendy Parisians, and travelers in search of the "real" Paris. The intimate Bar Chaumont is the place for creative cocktails and tapas, while the daily breakfast and Sunday brunch get laid out in the eponymous restaurant or on the terrace. Though the smaller rooms may seem like a splurge given their size, the excellent location in the Montorgueil neighborhood is surrounded by an array of foodie favorites and indie shops for instant local cred.
Courtesy Rosewood HotelshotelHôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 Hot List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Like the Ritz, Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel is a case study in how to stay relevant in the 21st century. But while the Ritz carried on in the same splendid fashion as always, the Crillon blasted off in search of something new. The result is a fascinating postmodern triumph. In the end, the refurb took four years and the hotel reopened in 2017 under the Rosewood brand. The best of what was the best of the Crillon has been thoughtfully preserved, while the best of what is new (the bar, the barbershop, L’Ecrin restaurant, and the stupendous suites by the late Karl Lagerfeld) is gobsmacking in its boldness and daring. After a day out on the town, relax in the Les Ambassadeurs lounge, which draws see-and-be-seen Parisians with live music and a selection of over 100 Champagnes, or in the spa, with its indoor heated pool and treatments inspired by the beauty secrets of French grandmothers and great-grandmothers. The Crillon has long been a sentimental favorite among the French. It's a splurge, but fans of French history and style or hotel junkies with a running list of global icons to check in to won't be disappointed. —Steve King
Benoit LinerohotelMonsieur George Hotel & Spa
$$ | Hot List 2020Greek magnate Umbert Saltiel religiously went to Blake’s Hotel in London, Anouska’s Hempel’s first hotel, which she opened in 1978, every week for years on end. When it came to transforming his own latest hotel, in a handsome Hausmann building in Paris just a beat from the Champs-Élysées, he wanted no one else. His son, Nicolas, tracked down the onetime Bond Girl-turned-designer, otherwise known as Lady Weinberg, and convinced her to take on the project. And as ever, she doesn’t do things by half. Her exacting attention to detail is obvious everywhere—"If you’re alive, you have to try and be the best," she says—in a riot of jade, emerald, and forest green, black lacquered paint, chevron tiles, and marble, and so many mirrors your perspective shifts as you move. A small but cleverly constructed space, the 46 rooms are spread over six floors. Décor is a mishmash of Anoushka’s travels. Moroccan in essence, offset with Indian lanterns and ikat prints from Romania; moody and sultry. Lady Weinberg is so obsessed with lighting, she added a Perspex filter to light bulbs by the bed to achieve the perfect soft glow. In the basement, cult Parisian yoga and wellness club Le Tigre doles out soothing massages, while restaurant Galanya looks to Asia with yellowtail sashimi, prawn ravioli, beef tataki, and cod with Japanese mushrooms cooked with precision. Much like the entire hotel, nothing is an accident or left to chance; it’s an orchestra of taste, all conducted by Lady Weinberg herself. It’s an opulent addition to the Parisian scene.
Courtesy Cour des VosgeshotelCour des Vosges
$$$ | Hot List 2020Blink and you might miss the entrance; apart from one modest sign, there is little that signals you've arrived at this Paris hotel overlooking Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris (originally called Place Royale). It feels more like a guesthouse, with only 12 rooms and suites, than a standard hotel, and there's no lobby or formal reception desk. It's all very confidential and intimate which, if you've booked this place, is what you're after. The building was once a school and more recently a textile warehouse—Lecoadic & Scotto architecture redesigned the space with the help of Bâtiments de France to preserve its heritage as a royal gathering place. Talk about grand (although it might be the high ceilings, too): Louis XIII and Anne of Austria celebrated their engagement here in 1612, and it was the site of trysts and duels during the 17th and 18th centuries. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal the Place des Vosges and its leafy Louis XIII square; this is the only property that offers such views from all rooms. It's got all the trappings of high luxury, with the benefit of privacy, and royal gardens at your doorstep.
Courtesy Shangri-LahotelShangri-La Paris
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023In 1891, Prince Roland Bonaparte—grand-nephew to Napoleon—chose a prime setting near the Seine River to build an opulent palace, complete with an elaborate carved façade, a vaulted ceiling emblazoned with zodiac symbols, and a dramatic "Stairway of Honor" made from brass and forged steel. The cultured prince hosted many a lively gathering at his palace—a tradition of hospitality that was revived in 2010, with the opening of the Shangri-La Paris. Following a meticulous restoration, the landmark features a dome-topped marble entryway, original wood floors, stained glass windows, and hand-carved mahogany panels—plus that famous staircase. It's not just pretty, either: A favorite destination dining spot for locals, the hotel houses Shang Palace, the first Chinese restaurant in France to receive a Michelin star, and La Bauhinia, which serves an elegant East-meets-West menu (including a popular afternoon tea) under the central glass cupola.
Courtesy RaffleshotelLe Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023Beginning with the blood-red awning and lamps adorning the classic façade, it’s clear there’s a little mischief at the heart of this sophisticated lady. Originally opened in 1928, the hotel that’s hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Michael Jackson underwent an extensive re-do in the mid-2000s, during which master designer Phillipe Starck brought in a playful, contemporary flair and a focus on art. (You can even get a guided tour of the hotel's private collection.) Standouts include a 99-seat, state-of-the-art movie theater, an art gallery and library, and a Matsuhisa outpost from Chef Nobu, which serves up Peruvian-Japanese cuisine.
Gaelle Le BoulicauthotelSO/ Paris
$$$If you’re after jaw-dropping views of the city, design, and an under-the-radar Paris neighborhood, this is a playful and comfortable contender in a sea of design properties. There are layers of refreshing novelty to peel back before you even make it to the elevators at this unexpected hot spot in a formerly sleepy pocket of the Marais. It begins with the design that goes hard on retro-futurism, and decorative touches informed by the surrounding environment like Parisian cobblestones and the Seine river. The terrazzo flooring with marble inserts, soaring volume, and striking mushroom-shaped pillars make the first big impression until your eye catches the contemporary art works—vibrant tondo painting by the French-Algerian artist Neïl Beloufa, and amber-glass mirrored walls. One of the staff dressed head-to-toe in Breton stripes in funky hues designed by Guillaume Henry, the artistic director of Patou, will welcome you with a detox juice or zero-proof cocktail, kicking off a very modern-Parisian stay.
Courtesy Four SeasonshotelFour Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Originally opened in 1928, in a prime location in the ever-so-chic eighth, this hotel is a true Paris icon—but from the moment you enter, it’s clear all is not as traditional as it might seem. The entryway is grand and gilded, the staff deferential and efficient (and always greeting you by name), but flashes of modern style and edgy attitude save the place from seeming staid. This is also the first hotel in Europe to feature five Michelin stars under one roof—garnered here by three distinct restaurants like fine dining Le Cinq, where French classics are reinterpreted using lighter ingredients and techniques. Fortunately, all restaurants are accented by prime vintages from the hotel’s legendary, 50,000 bottle-strong cellar, whose position 45-feet underground helped it survive the bombings of World War II.
Getty ImageshotelCheval Blanc Paris
$$$ | Hot List 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2022, 2023Skip the sleepy districts that house so many of Paris’s plush hotels, and book a private perch with a bird’s eye view of the river and La Samaritaine as your fashion-forward neighbor. From a sophisticated suburban crowd to the Bobo’s of the right bank, every type of Parisian rubs shoulders with jet-setting guests in the convivial seventh-floor Art Deco brasserie meets cocktail bar, Le Tout-Paris. It’s the place to be seen before you escape to the subterranean spa or your room with a view. Almost every one of the 72 elegant, beige and gold-hued rooms, 46 of which are suites, overlook the Seine. The best spot from which to enjoy the hotel’s idyllic position is from a sunlit winter garden suite; this private perch offers views from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Eiffel Tower, as well as a glimpse into day-to-day life in the French capital, the famous bouquinistes (or booksellers), and romantic promenades. Tucked away below ground, the brightly lit spa designed like a modern living room is helmed by another member of the LVMH équipe and star of both Parisian couture and beauty: Christian Dior.
Courtesy La Réserve ParishotelLa Réserve Paris - Hotel and Spa
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019, 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023La Réserve owner Michel Reybier had great success with his Geneva and Ramatuelle outposts. Yet there was general astonishment when, in 2015, La Réserve Paris sashayed into town, teaching the city’s grandes dames new tricks. It's the most beloved address in the French capital for fashion editors and the go-to for regular visitors to the city who want to feel like they’re staying in a private mansion, with just 40 rooms in a fine hôtel particulier designed by Baron Haussmann for Napoleon III’s half-brother the Duc de Morny in 1854. Its position, on a quiet, tree-lined street moments from the Place de la Concorde, is propitious. Then you cross the threshold and—ka-boom!—it’s an explosion of color and texture in the best way imaginable. There’s brocade taffeta, velvet drapes and silk wallpapers in the richest shades of emerald and ruby. No crevice has gone ungilded. This is somewhere you'll want to come back to time and again. —Steve King
Courtesy Dorchester Collection/©Eric LaignelhotelHôtel Plaza Athénée, Dorchester Collection
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Hot List 2015 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023Don't let the aura of sedate elegance fool you: there's always been a playfulness at the heart of this grande dame. Opened in 1913, with its signature red awnings facing the stately Avenue Montaigne, the Plaza Athénée has long had ties to the fashion world, from the days when Christian Dior named collections after the hotel, to its appearance in fashion-themed favorites like Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. Decor-wise, that translates to classic, chandelier-heavy public spaces that give way to contemporary flashes, like the futuristic, chrome-covered banquettes of an Alain Ducasse restaurant, and the blue velvet-covered ceiling of Le Bar; and guest-wise, it means you're likely to spot some fashion editors and design house execs circling the lobby.
Photo by Céline DemouxhotelOFF Paris Seine
$Paris's first boat hotel puts you right on the Seine for a truly unique perspective. Designed by Parisian nautical architect Gérard Ronzatti, and constructed in Normandy, the purpose-built barge (one of the largest docked on the river) evokes an over-sized catamaran wrapped in glass and steel. The hub is the sleek bar/lounge, which stretches from the main deck up to the U-shaped upper level where, in good weather, locals and guests gather around the plunge pool for cocktails, tapas, and selfies on inflatable gold swans.
Courtesy Leading Hotels of the WorldhotelHôtel Lancaster
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018The creative spirit of former residents—like Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Greta Garbo—imbue the spaces of this elegant Parisian spot which in the 1880s served as the residence of a Spanish aristocrat. Enlarged into a hotel in the Roaring ‘20s, the private home feel lingers with antique accents, original detailing, and portraits by 1930s Russian artist Boris Pastoukhoff (another former resident), all balanced by comfy-contemporary furnishings. Artists and creative types have always felt at home here, and today mingle with other discerning (and deep-pocketed) travelers who value tradition and the finer things, but also a side of soul. Set along winding corridors, the 45 rooms and 11 suites are bright and beautiful with tall windows, street or garden views, and residential décor in keeping with the mansion’s history. Antique pieces, gilded frames, and original flourishes like brick fireplaces and time-worn herringbone parquet floors are enlivened by whimsical rugs and the occasional pop of pink or yellow. You'll feel at home in one of Paris's chicest districts.
Courtesy Hôtel RécamierhotelHôtel Récamier
$$ | Gold List 2018Under the supervision of a passionate owner, a run-down two-star hotel was in 2009 revived into this sophisticated Left Bank inn that evokes the apartment of a well-traveled art and history buff. Accented by the hotel’s signature scent, the interiors by Jean-Louis Deniot are contemporary and bright, warmed by reclaimed wood tables, metallic sculptures, and original artwork and unique objets sourced from around the world.
Kristen PelouhotelJ.K. Place Paris
$$$ | Hot List 2020Could this be designer Michele Bönan’s finest hour? The Florentine interiors guru has always gone the extra mile in his work for Italian-Israeli hotelier Ori Kafri’s J.K. Place stable, which launched in 2003 with the much-imitated J.K. Place Firenze. J.K. Place Paris, opened in 2020, is the group’s first hotel outside Italy and a 29-room conversion of a maison particulier located among the galleries and government offices of Paris’s Latin Quarter. For the interiors, Bönan raided antiques shops and flea markets for post-Cubist canvases, African chairs, and discarded sketches for old Hermès collections. Spread over three interconnected buildings and five floors, the handsome rooms come with perks that help to soften the muscular rates, including bathrooms so big you could take your morning coffee in them. Downstairs, the glass-roofed Casa Tua restaurant serves up good Northern Italian food, while a small but serviceable spa pool invites lazy lengths before negronis at the bar. There’s also a gym stocked with Technogym equipment and two rooms for spa and beauty treatments, but the real sell may be that the owner of the building loans out his own bateau-mouche riverboat—which even has a cinema—for private Seine cruises.
Courtesy Generator ParishotelGenerator Paris
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2022From the moment you check in at the colorfully-painted reception, under the bright lights of the movie theater marquee-style sign above, Generator makes you feel like a guest at a long-running party. Envisioned as the next generation of hostels, the brand celebrates unique design, engaging experiences, and locally-sourced food, while offering a range of room styles and prices.
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Courtesy Maison SouquethotelMaison Souquet
$$'Arabian Nights' meet Napoleon III at this heady hideaway envisioned by French designer extraordinaire, Jacques Garcia. Drawing inspiration from the building’s early-1900’s stint as a maison close (upscale brothel) frequented by well-to-do pleasure seekers, Garcia has kept the exterior understated—just look for the two red lanterns—then decked the interiors out in reams of lush velvet, Moorish tiles, antique furnishings, and oil paintings of women in seductive poses.
Amy MurellhotelL'Hôtel
$$The spirit of Oscar Wilde—or, at least, his love of decadence—is alive in one of the smallest five-star hotels in Paris. Housed in a 19th-century building (built on what was once the site of Queen Margot’s “pavilion of love”), this intimate hotel was for decades a popular hideaway for solace-seeking celebs, from Wilde (who lived at the hotel until his death) to, later, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and Jim Morrison. Decor pays tribute to that Old World glamour with lots of jewel-toned fabrics, dim lighting, and velvet couches set under a central, domed ceiling where you'll find a mix of global nomads, discreet lovebirds, and history buffs talking low in a warren of cushy nooks. The 20 rooms have been individually decorated in a range of styles; some adhere to the romantic, Baroque and Indochine drama of the common areas. The Oscar Wilde Suite, in which the writer lived, has its own terrace, while the Apartment, the largest suite, has silk-covered walls and a terrace with views of the bell tower at Saint-Germain-des-Prés; it also comes with one hour of private access to the pool. Soak up history, as seen through the lens of one of today's top design masters, in this discreet, charming, and thoroughly romantic hideaway. It's easy to see why Oscar Wilde famously "lived above [his] means" to stay here.
Karel Balas/Courtesy Hôtel des Grands BoulevardhotelHôtel des Grands Boulevards
$$ | Hot List 2018The third hotel from Paris’s charmingly raffish Experimental Group, who opened the cheeky Grand Pigalle and London’s perky Henrietta after establishing cocktail bars around the world, may be the most irresistible yet. The Hôtel des Grands Boulevards is tucked away in the 2nd Arrondissement, one of the most diverse and dynamic parts of the city. Staying at this converted, 18th-century townhouse places guests properly amongst three bars and restaurants from which to watch daily life unfold with an elderflower cocktail in hand. Interior designer Dorothee Meilichzon took her cues from the neighborhood when decking out the 50 rooms: Tiny wooden stools near windows with ball-gown length drapes create the atmosphere of a Parisian parlor. When the bustle of the 2nd all gets a little too much, the rooftop gin joint is an ideal escape. Paris rarely feels as fun as it does from the inside of a hotel run by a bunch of bartenders.
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Courtesy Hôtel du Petit MoulinhotelHôtel du Petit Moulin
$Don't get confused by the vintage boulangerie signage: you're in the right place. Set in two connected 17th-century buildings—one the former home of one of Paris's first bakeries—the Hôtel du Petit Moulin feels like an insider's secret that's hiding in plain sight. The four-star charmer as been decked-out by fashion designer Christian Lacroix, so from the reception (located in the ersatz bakery) to the 17 rooms, the decor is bold, eclectic, and bursting with personality.
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Paul BowyerhotelMob Hotel
$Taking inspiration from Paris’s largest flea market, located about a 10-minute walk away, the eclectic Mob Hotel is awash in boho chic and bursting with creative energy. The experience starts at reception, which doubles as a shop stocking everything from snacks and stylish accessories to the odd guitar, and continues out to the backyard, where the restaurant’s terrace overlooks a garden that hosts al fresco movies in the summer, and turns into an ice skating rink in the winter.
hotelHôtel Raphael
$$Family-owned and operated since 1925 (it's now watched over by the fourth generation), this boutique five-star's intimate take on luxury has garnered it a legion of regulars, including a fair share of boldface names. Though the vibe is discreet, the public spaces are hardly subtle: Oriental rugs, trompe l’oeil walls, rich wood paneling, and antiques and artwork from the family’s collection.
Jefferson Lellouche & Guilhem TouzeryhotelHôtel Particulier Montmartre
$$Down a quiet cobblestoned street, past an unmarked gate, through the second door of a 19th-century mansion, and you’re home. Once the residence of people with last names like Rothschild and Hermès, this refuge has been transformed by Oscar Comtet, a young entrepreneur with a dynamic vision and keen eye, into the ultimate private hideaway.
Courtesy Chouchou HôtelhotelChouchou Hôtel
$$This cheery, recently opened four-star hotel near the Opera is both a fun hangout spot with live events and a comfortable place in which to relax (especially thanks to your private hot tub). Just blocks from the Palais Garnier and other historic performance arts venues, as well as the iconic Galeries Lafayette department store, Chouchou does it all with a food hall-style restaurant and breezy bar centered around a rotating roster of live music and other stage events. On the visitor front, the crowd represents both business and leisure visitors who value a sense of place and want to be close to all the action. You’ve got your choice of fun in the 9th arrondissement, too, from a selection of smaller museums to notable shopping and the restaurants of South Pigalle. With a base here, you’re also close to the luxury stores of the 8th, the Montmartre area (including Sacre-Coeur), and even—if you head south towards the river—the Louvre.
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