The luxury hotel scene in Paris always has something happening. Here are five quick tips to keep on your radar.
Earlier this month the new Brach Hotel celebrated its soft opening, just in time for Fashion Week. Designed by Philippe Starck, the new property is set in a quiet, residential corner of the 16th arrondissement on the site of a former postal sorting center. It has a sports club with a swimming pool, extra-large hot tub, hammam, salt grotto and sauna, as well as a rooftop terrace exclusively for suite guests with a vegetable garden, egg-laying hens and a dining space. Each suite at the hotel also has its own terrace. The official opening is set for later this month.
In September The Hôtel Lutetia, the only large-scale luxury hotel on the Left Bank, wrapped a major renovation project that took over four years to complete. The hotel reduced its number of from 133 to 184, adding 47 new suites to the property, including seven signature suites. Also new is The Brasserie Lutetia, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Gérald Passedat, serving up a Mediterranean-inspired menu in a space that dates back to the hotel’s historic 1910’s roots. There is also a casual, all-day restaurant, a cozy bar with cigar smoking lounges and a spa.
September also saw the Hotel de Crillon receive the elite “palace hotel” distinction from Atout France, one of only 25 properties in France to be so honored. An historic landmark that first opened in 1909 (although the building itself dates to 1758), the new palace designation capped a four-year restoration that saw it reopen in July 2017 as a Rosewood Hotel. Suites here are designed by Karl Lagerfeld.
Looking ahead, this December the Hotel Powers, which closed in July 2017 for a renovation, will reopen as the Grand Powers Paris, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Set in the 8th arrondissement near the Champs-Élysées, the hotel will have a new look touching all aspects of the property, including a Penthouse Suite with a living area and rooftop balcony with Eiffel Tower views, several connecting room and suite options, and a lounge called Café 52. The hotel will also newly begin offering 24-hour room service, and it will have a new spa, with a private treatment room, a sauna, hammam, Jacuzzi and a fitness room.
Finally, in terms of events, October 23 will see the debut of an interesting new art exhibit at Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris. Through November 10 the hotel will host a Hidden Workshop by Chinese artist Liu Bolin, who has been nicknamed the “invisible man” for his works of art that blend into France’s Champagne region. Guests will be guided by the hotel’s art concierge through an exhibit in the lobby and art in the hallway toward the Hidden Workshop, which also has a Champagne bar.
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