Travel News

Paris Luxury Hotels: Chic Accommodations For Shoppers

Locations in this article:  Barcelona, Spain London, England Paris, France

Eiffel Tower - Paris Luxury HotelsDear Peter,

After having my own apartment in Paris for 10 years, I have become a hotel junkie—constantly checking out new hotels in search of the perfect stay.

Of all the mail I get, the most frequently asked queries are about Paris; often people want a hotel they can afford in a great location.

Since Paris was one of the finalists for the 2012 Olympic Games (London won it), several new or renovated hotels have opened this year, flooding the landscape with more luxury and more choice.

PAVILLON DES LETTRES

My last apartment in Paris was in the 8e arrondissement right off the famous shopping street rue du Faubourg St. Honore.

Pavillon des Lettres Hotel ParisOn the corner: an adorable little funky hotel called Hotel Elysees.

That hotel has now been bought and turned into a chic little jewel box named Pavillon des Lettres—the idea being this is a literary hotel where rooms are not numbered, but assigned by a letter of the alphabet and an author.

Our room was U for Urfe, an author I am unfamiliar with. Since I know this hotel intimately, I can warn guests that the rooms are very uneven, so many do not seem worth the rack rate. Urfe, at €340 per night, was overpriced.

The location is good and the re-do is very chic, but there’s no warmth in the hotel and for that kind of money, I’d rather pay a little more and book into a palace hotel like the new Shangri-La.

Know before you go: Luxury Hotels, Luxury Travel & Suzy’s Shopping Guide to Paris

Hotel Shangri-La Paris - Suzy's Luxury Hotel PickHOTEL SHANGRI-LA

The Shangri-La Hotel Paris is built into the private mansion once held by Roland Bonaparte, Napoleon’s nephew. Not only is it amazingly splendid, but many rooms have a view of the Eiffel Tower, which you seem to be able to reach out and touch.

The hotel is located in the 16e arrondissement, the fanciest residential district of Paris, and is close to museums and embassies with a metro station (Iena) a few steps from the front door.

This stop can take you to Galeries Lafayette, the department store, in three minutes … or you can shop on ave. Woodrow Wilson outside the hotel at the lovely twice a week street market where foods, flowers and some fashions are sold to a very Parisian crowd.

Because of the Asian influence of the hotel chain, the gourmet restaurant serves several Thai dishes in a dining room lit with an enormous crystal chandelier that oozes French charm. I’d rather pay €500 a night here than pay less for a not-so-great hotel.

HOTEL PONT ROYAL

The best hotel in Paris on the Left Bank, another literary address, is the almost-perfect Hotel Pont Royal at the edge of rue du Bac on rue Montalembert, just north of Blvd Saint Germain. The hotel has not changed or renovated (it is perfect the way it is!) but the big addition here is the brand-new, grocery-store branch of Monoprix just opened across the street.

For those who just love being on the Left Bank and want small and intimate, yet deluxe and very French, this is the only choice. Some rooms have Eiffel Tower views; you are just two blocks from Bon Marche and all the best shopping in the area. There are also suites high up in the hotel that have sofabeds for extra members of the family; at €600 for a suite, you have a good find. Plus, this hotel has bathtubs—so many of the remodeled hotels have done away with tubs—and more charm and history than you would expect.

Looking for a luxury hotel in Paris? Don’t miss:

COMING SOON

The W Hotel has just opened a gorgeous new hotel in Barcelona and plans to open shortly in Paris.

Mandarin Oriental Paris - Opening Summer 2011Also coming soon, to the place Vendome area (near the Ritz Paris) will be the new Mandarin Oriental hotel.

Mandarin Oriental once managed a property in Paris—the Royal Monceau—that hotel eventually made a deal with Raffles, closed its doors for a total renovation and has just opened as the talk of Paris, with designs from Philippe Starck. The new Mandarin Oriental will be in a better location for visitors and shoppers and will surely suck some of the glamour from the Ritz Paris.

SECRET FIND

As I was leaving Paris, I saw a promo for a hotel that I know, but have never tested: Hotel California, a four-star grande dame (built in 1925) right off the Champs Elysees that had a winter rate of €179 per night with breakfast—now that’s a deal.

The room is sure to have a bathtub since I don’t know when the hotel was last renovated … but anything under €200 a night has to be considered a bargain and if your ego or business dealings do not require a certified palace, this could be the best secret find I can offer up. The location is sublime for shopping and getting around town; I plan to try this on my next visit to Paris … as well as the glam Mandarin Oriental, bien sur.

Kisses from your old grande dame,
SuzyKG

By Suzy Gershman for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit Suzy on the Web at www.suzygershman.com andwww.borntoshoplady.blogspot.com and of course, check out her latest book Suzy Gershman’s Born to Shop California Wine Country.

Related links on PeterGreenberg.com: