As the famous Audrey Hepburn quote goes, ‘Paris is always a good idea’. She’s right, but she also never said that (that honour actually goes to Julia Ormond in the 1995 remake of Sabrina). Just over two hours from London (thanks Eurostar), the home of Haute Couture, with gourmet food, world-renowned art, incredible live music and a rich cultural heritage waiting around each and every Haussmannian corner, makes a beautiful destination for weekend breaks and romantic jaunts alike.

But when you’re done strolling the Champs Elysées, had your fill of vin rouge and pommes frites, or spent the day watching the 33rd edition of the summer Olympics in the French capital this summer, you’ll need somewhere to rest your weary head, and why settle for anything less than pure Parisian luxury? From charming chȃteaus to palatial residences with unbeatable views, here are the best luxury hotels to book in the City of Light.

Hôtel San Régis, 8th Arrondissement

Just moments from the fashion haven of Avenue Montaigne, the San Régis Hotel is one of the most historical family-owned establishments (it’s now run by two sisters) in the French capital, and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Many of the leading figures in cinema and fashion have chosen to make it their home during Paris Fashion Week and beyond, with regular guests including actor Gene Kelly, actress Lauren Bacall, French film director Louis Malle and former Harper’s Bazaar fashion editor Carmel Snow – who famously phoned Christian Dior from her room after seeing his recent show in 1947 and declared it “a New Look“. 

Originally built as a home, each and every room of the five-star hotel has its own distinctive character with bespoke wallpapers, period furniture and objets d’art playing a key part in all 30 bedrooms and 12 suites. The restaurant, Les Confidences, offers an eclectic, seasonal menu created by chef Michele Fanciullo, while those after something lighter should opt for pastries by award-winning pastry chef, Jessica Préalpato. 

From £461 per night

Hôtel Des Grands Voyageurs, 6th Arrondissement

One of the newest hotels on the block, Hôtel Des Grands Voyageurs is situated in the vibrant Left Bank Quartier of Saint-Placide, and is home to 138 rooms inspired by the golden age of travel. Designed by the internationally-renowned Fabrizio Casiragh, the property is filled with a curated selection of art from all over the world, paying homage to the antique dealers of St-Germain-des-Prés and featuring lithographs from Gustav Klimt and Marc Chagall, bespoke mirrors by artist Osanna Visconti di Modrone, and bas-relief sculptures by François Gilles. 

A real highlight here is the Grands Voyageurs restaurant, a transatlantic brasserie which occupies an informal space next to the lobby with large windows from which to observe the busy Saint Placide quartier outside. The menu is a culinary journey from Paris to New York, so expect oysters, French onion soup, steak frites, pecan pie, and salted caramel cheesecake. Turophiles will enjoy the impressive cheese menu featuring the likes of La Ferme de la Tremblaye in Yvelines (around an hour from Paris) and charcuterie from Boucherie La Poularde. Head to the secret subterranean Poppy bar for a nightcap – we recommend the signature Lemon Drop, crafted with Citadelle gin, banana liqueur, Skinos, fresh lemon and zesty yuzushu. 

From £258 per night

Hôtel Beauregard, 15th Arrondissement

As of last year, Hôtel Beauregard became the fifth property of the Touriste portfolio in Paris but, for the first time, the group crossed the Seine to the Left Bank. Based in the less-touristy 15th arrondissement, Hôtel Beauregard sits in an elegant six-storey Haussmannian with most of its 38 rooms boasting views across to the Eiffel Tower. Interior designer Chloé Nègre has married classic and contemporary influences to invoke Parisian clichés and nods to the Seventies across the six floors. While you’ll find the bar downstairs serving an elegant menu of wine and cocktails, you’ll have to venture out for the evening to sample traditional French fare. But that’s hardly a bad thing considering you’re in one of the culinary capitals of the world… 

From £115 per night

Bulgari Hotel, 8th Arrondissement

Set in a decommissioned 1970s post office on Avenue George V, in the heart of the Golden Triangle – Paris’s answer to Mayfair – the Bulgari Hotel is an elegant high-end hideaway just steps from the Champs Elysées. Housing 76 tech-forward rooms and suites – plus a vast €35,000-per-night penthouse, complete with panoramic city views and its own private roof terrace – each decked out in a signature blend of Franco-Italian glamour, this family- and pet-friendly palace is also home to a swanky state-of-the-art spa and capacious 25-metre underground swimming pool.

Cuisine at the hotel’s Il Ristorante – Niko Romito is, as expected from the eponymous Italian chef, a celebration of authentic Italian flavour, cut with a contemporary edge that epitomises the notion of ‘Made in Italy’. Design by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel is oozing with Italianate sophistication. Think sprawling marble surfaces, rich jewel tones and vintage portraits of Sophia Loren. This relative newcomer (doors opened in December of 2021) is quickly becoming one of the city’s hottest new hideouts.

From £1,559 per nigh

Cheval Blanc, Les Halles

Another recent opening in the City of Light, luxury lifestyle conglomerate LVMH launched its latest Cheval Blanc outpost slap-bang on Pont-Neuf, facing the artsy Left Bank. The former home of luxury Art Deco department store La Samaritaine, each space has been painstakingly redesigned by Peter Marino with a restrained luxury that epitomises the notion of Parisian elegance, with LVMH megabrands everywhere from the sharp Patou-designed uniforms to the blissfully serene Dior spa on the hotel’s ground floor.

Home to four restaurants, including Plénitude – helmed by three Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Donckele – the first Langosteria to open outside of Milan, an all-day cocktail bar-come-brasserie aptly named Le Tout-Paris, and a Rossano Ferretti Salon, guests may find it harder than expected to leave this well-appointed haven.

From £1,626 per night

Four Seasons Hotel George V, 8th Arrondissement

With Eiffel Tower views, a five-star spa and a stellar location just steps from the Arc de Triomphe, the Four Seasons’ flagship George V hotel is one of Paris’s most spectacular stays. Each of the hotel’s lavish rooms and suites is decadently furnished with elaborate chandeliers, gold-embroidered drapery and plush, swirling carpets, while grand marble bathrooms bathed in light hint at the sumptuous basement spa complete with two hammams and a tranquil swimming pool.

And while hotel eateries can occasionally leave a lot to be desired, with six Michelin stars between three restaurants, the Four Seasons is tough to beat when it comes to dining in-house. Guests can find fine French cuisine at three Michelin-starred Le Cinq, tuck into an Italian-Mediterranean feast at trendy spot Le George, or partake in plant-based plates at the light and airy L’Orangerie.

From £1,738 per night

Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal, Les Halles

Situated just across the street from the offices of fictional marketing firm Savoir in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, the Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal takes its name from the former royal palace that sits just a stone’s throw away. Providing a sanctuary away from the throng of tourists that flock to the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries nearby, each of the hotel’s 59 bright and airy rooms and suites welcome guests with soft hues and beautiful views across the city’s charming rooftops.

The hotel’s Holidermie spa, which also houses a swanky fitness centre, Star Hammam and hair salon, offers an extensive array of holistic treatments, including a signature rejuvenating facial and tailor-made massage. Food at the Maxime Raab-helmed Café 52 is a refined affair with a staunch focus on seasonality and balance of flavour. Ever-evolving must-try dishes include ginger steamed fish with French vegetables, wild shrimp and spinach dumplings and wasabi tarama on gluten free toast.

From £473 per night

Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 8th Arrondissement

Adorned with thousands of ruby-red geraniums and with interiors decked out in an eclectic, contemporary mélange of classic Parisian elegance and Art Deco splendour, Hôtel Plaza Athénée is something of an institution in the French capital. Taking its cues from the prestigious avenue Montaigne – the tree-lined boulevard of French fashion that's provided catwalks for Dior and Dietrich – the hotel, that opened in 1913, claims to be exactly like the city's infamous haute couture: bespoke and tailored specifically for each guest.

The jewel in its crown is the Haute Couture Eiffel Suite: a Parisian suite with a palatial allure, featuring elaborate mouldings and silver-leaf detail throughout the living room, bedroom, dressing and bathroom. However the equally-comfortable Deluxe Room provides the perfect home-from-home for a couple, styled in elegant Art Deco accents and boasting exclusive views over La Cour Jardin, the hotel's tranquil inner courtyard. Elsewhere, Hôtel Plaza Athénée is home to five restaurants and bars offering up everything from afternoon tea soundtracked by a live harpist at La Galerie to al fresco French fare with a side of people watching at La Terrasse Montaigne. Chin chin!

From £1,823 per night

L'Hotel Paris, Latin Quarter

Nestled in the city’s creative Latin Quarter on the Rive Gauche, boutique bolthole L’Hotel exudes all the bohemian opulence you would expect of the former home of Oscar Wilde (and then some). On ascending the famed spiral staircase of the world’s first boutique hotel, guests are welcomed into one of 20 unique rooms, each resplendent in lavish velvet and silks, with original artwork and breathtaking bathrooms to boot.

A favoured haunt of artists, film stars and plugged-in Parisians, cosy cocktail bar Wilde’s Lounge, located on L’Hotel’s ground floor, offers up an elegant array of Franco-Mediterranean fare – perfectly in tune with the bistro’s Empire-inspired design – and, each Thursday, hosts a roaring evening of cocktails, art and live jazz. Need to unwind after a long night of revelry? Book into the hotel’s private spa, complete with subterranean Hammam pool and steam room. This is truly the destination for those looking to live la vie bohème.

From £328 per night

Le Bristol, 8th Arrondissement

The first hotel in France to be awarded esteemed Palace status, Le Bristol, built in 1925, is a bastion of discreet French luxury. Housing an impressive 190 rooms and suites in the heart of Paris’s 8th arrondissement, and with four Michelin stars under one roof – including the three awarded to quintessentially French eatery, Epicure – this palatial retreat makes an ideal base from which to discover the city’s many cultural and culinary delights.

Pampering and relaxation await at Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie, where guests can indulge in a range of revitalising treatments, including a luxurious white caviar facial and Sensorial Resets by Tata Harper. Kids in tow? They'll be well cared for at Le Bristol’s swish kids club while you enjoy some well-deserved downtime in the hotel's spectacular rooftop pool, complete with sun deck and views across Montmartre. Elsewhere, pet-owning guests can rest assured that furry friends will be welcomed with open arms – for over a decade Le Bristol has been home to Fa-Raon, a friendly Birman cat, whose position was recently succeeded by his son, a charming, blue-eyed kitten named Socrate.

From £1,448 per night

Le Meurice, 2nd Arrondissement

18th-century splendour meets contemporary surrealism at Le Meurice. Dubbed a modern-day Versailles, this palatial residence overlooking the Tuileries Gardens is a true testament to the deep cultural heritage of Paris, and the artists and creatives that have called its hallowed halls home, since it opened in 1815 (Pablo Picasso chose the hotel for the venue of his 1918 wedding to Olga Kokhlova, and Le Meurice also counts Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan among its clientele).

Guests here are guaranteed to eat well with all food overseen by the eminent Alain Ducasse, from the fare at his eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant, to the complimentary chocolates that await your arrival. Downstairs, Le Meurice is home to Paris’ only Valmont spa; a sanctum of beauty, wellness and relaxation, complete with a beauty laboratory, open-air terrace and intimate treatment spaces.

From £2,991 per night

Saint James Paris, Chaillot

Tucked away in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, this charming chȃteau-meets-family estate feels more like a private members' club than a fully-fledged hotel. Designed by Laura Gonzalez, each space at Saint James Paris is ornately decorated with a modern yet romantic take on Napoleonic French opulence. Expect clashing fabrics, patterns and colours, soaring ornamental frescoes and beautiful decorative objects covering every surface.

A recently-relaunched spa and wellbeing area, resplendent in Greco-Roman marble details with high, vaulted ceilings welcomes guests to check in and check out, while luxuriating in indulgent treatments provided by Guerlain. Helmed by chef Julien Dumas, Michelin-starred Le Bellefeuille – decked out in romantic, hand-drawn panoramas, light woodwork and soft green textiles – specialises in seasonal, artisanal cuisine with a focus on sustainability, while the Terrace, set under the sprawling Versailles-green pergola, offers a light menu to guests throughout the summer months.

From £907 per night

Shangri-La Paris, Chaillot

Images: Shangri La Paris

Home to France’s only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, Shang Palace (which was recently re-awarded for the 10th year running), the Shangri-La seamlessly blends old-school European splendour with traditional Asian hospitality. Overlooking the River Seine and the Eiffel Tower and mere moments from Place du Trocadéro, the former home of Prince Roland Bonaparte is a fittingly palatial retreat, bathed in a soothing Rococo-inspired palette of duck-egg blues, muted golds and cream.

Set in the palace’s former stables, Chi, the Spa at Shangri-La provides guests with a welcome escape from the rush of the city outside, with all-natural treatments courtesy of Biarritz brand Alaena. And once you’ve finished pampering, take a seat under La Bauhinia’s expansive glass roof and indulge in a delectable afternoon tea, topped off with champagne and a curious confit duck foie gras-flavoured Lapsang Souchong tea – if you’re brave enough, that is.

From £1,556 per night

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