From world-class dining to cultural landmarks, the French capital remains one of the world’s most visited cities, with 37 million people expected for this year alone. Choosing a favorite hotel can be as challenging as choosing a favorite restaurant, particularly in a city brimming with standout hospitality experiences.
Whether you’re looking for a boutique hotel with modern design and exceptional gastronomy or prefer an Old World grande dame, you’ll find it on this carefully curated list of the top places to stay in the City of Light, part of our Hotels We Love series of the best hotels and resorts of 2023.
Read on and learn about the best luxury hotels in Paris, listed in no particular order.
The SO / Paris has 162 guest rooms and suites.
Courtesy of SO / Paris
1. SO / Paris
- Neighborhood: L’Arsenal, Marais
- Why we love it: A design-forward retreat in a less-visited neighborhood
- Website | Book now
For years, the easternmost section of the Marais, one of the city’s most beloved districts, was a sleepy, underdeveloped neighborhood. That all changed for L’Arsenal in July 2022 with the arrival of the design-driven SO / Paris, located at La Félicité, a massive urban revitalization site overhauled by British architect David Chipperfield. The hotel occupies one side of the 1960s-era complex (which includes the Terroirs d’Avenir green market and bakery and the Atlas art gallery). The design from Paris-based architects RDAI is retro-futuristic, with rounded couches and soaring ceilings, while decorative touches are nods to the neighborhood (the tiles of the hotel entrance mimic cobblestone streets).
You’ll find terrazzo floors with marble inserts and amber glass mirrors and soaring pillars, along with contemporary artwork on the walls, like a vibrant painting by French-Algerian artist Neïl Beloufa. Staff are kitted out in uniforms designed by Guillaume Henry, the artistic director of French fashion company Patou. The 162 guest rooms and suites are done up in colorful tones and warm woods; thoughtful details include coffee tables that double as tray tables, a spirits cabinet, and a minibar stocked with local gourmet snacks.
The views are the reigning star of a stay here, and they’re dialed up even further at Bonnie, the très sceney restaurant-bar-nightclub run by the Paris Society group. (Be sure to check out the mirrored Olafur Eliasson art installation, The Seeing City.) It’s no wonder this spot has quickly become a Paris Fashion Week destination and magnet for celebs such as Dua Lipa and Janet Jackson.
The gold-accented Bar Les Ambassadeurs is an ideal place for a nightcap.
Courtesy of Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel
2. Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel
- Neighborhood: Place de la Concorde
- Why we love it: A grand and historic urban getaway
- Website | Book now
Few hotels in Paris are as historic and beloved as this Louis XV icon and the former residence of the Duke de Crillon, which overlooks the Place de la Concorde. Hôtel de Crillon has been a landmark since 1909, drawing dignitaries and performers from Roosevelt to Madonna over the years, the Palace hotel underwent a four-year transformation by the Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, who overhauled the Eiffel Tower’s Jules Verne restaurant.
The property reopened in 2017 as a Rosewood hotel. A team of designers and craftspeople preserved landmarked features, including a staircase, mirrors, and heritage salons, and then imbued it with a warm, residential feel. Each of the 124 guest rooms comes with butler service, French Buly 1803 products, salon-level hair dryers, and custom furnishings. Two Karl Lagerfeld–designed suites called Les Grands Appartements feature white brocade wingback chairs and marble fireplaces, while a deluxe room honors the designer’s cat, Choupette.
On-site dining and drinking establishments include the first French project for chef Paul Pairet (of the three-Michelin-star restaurant Ultraviolet in Shanghai), while the spa’s offerings include treatments by Sisley and Maison Caulières, a full-service David Lucas hair salon, and rotating monthly workshops and experiences with local experts for everything from meditation to neurofeedback, open to both guests and Parisians. Don’t miss a dip in the subterranean, gold-accented skylighted pool.
The Hotel Rochechouart is in the Pigalle district.
Courtesy of Hotel Rochechouart
3. Hôtel Rochechouart
The Pigalle neighborhood’s past comes alive in Hôtel Rochechouart, a 106-room property on the boulevard Marguerite de Rochechouart, itself a late-night destination and a 1920s hot spot for musicians, intellectuals, and artists. The hotel’s design by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen Architecture builds off of that legacy; restored details include the blue mosaic floor in the restaurant and the glass elevator. The modern-feeling guest rooms are done up in a moody, autumnal color palette and feature Old World decorative details like burl-wood headboards, curvaceous armchairs, and alabaster suspension lamps.
But the real selling point is what happens outside of the rooms. The hotel’s brasserie on the ground floor has become a favorite among Parisians for its soaring ceilings, sleek banquettes, and classic dishes (steak tartare; crème brûlée). One floor below the restaurant, Mikado Dancing is a Jazz-era nightclub that the hotel owners brought back to life as a speakeasy-dance hall; it’s open every Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m. Head to the rooftop bar for lunch and views of the Sacré Coeur, so close you could almost reach out and touch it.
The bar at the Four Seasons George V
Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel George V
4. Four Seasons George V
- Neighborhood: Champs-Elysées
- Why we love it: High-end comforts, world-class dining, and flawless service
- Website | Book now
If you’re looking to stay near the Champs-Elysées—grandest avenue in the world—there is no place as fitting as this legendary art deco hotel. Opened in 1928 with a name that nodded to the British monarchy, the palatial property quickly began attracting the world’s upper crust, from celebrities to royalty. It also earned a reputation for its opulent Louis XV–style interiors and a series of firsts for its time: two bathrooms in each suite, telephones that ring outside numbers, and dumbwaiters for room service.
The 244 spacious guest rooms and suites have chandeliers, marble-clad bathrooms, and soothing powder blue and neutral hues. The George V is the first hotel in Europe to offer three Michelin-ranked restaurants on site, including the three-star Le Cinq, as well as a 50,000-bottle wine cellar 45 feet underground. Take note of the awe-inspiring floral arrangements composed by the hotel’s artistic director, Jeff Leatham, and his team of florists, from nearly 15,000 flowers delivered each week from Amsterdam.
Cheval Blanc Paris has views of the Seine River.
Image by Alexandre Tabaste/Cheval Blanc
5. Cheval Blanc Paris
- Neighborhood: Pont Neuf, 1st arrondissement
- Why we love it: Prime Seine-side views and best-in-class service and dining
- Website | Book now
Opened in 2021, the first urban resort from LVMH—the arbiter and exporter of French luxury—feels sumptuous at every turn. A 100-foot pool, the largest of any French hotel, is covered in hand-laid mosaic tiles, while a series of virtual window panels display illustrated scenes of the Seine in perpetual motion as you swim laps. A penthouse apartment has its own 41-foot pool, projection space, and panoramic terrace. Plénitude, the fine-dining restaurant, earned three Michelin stars within months of opening. The hotel was designed by Peter Marino, an American known for his chromatic and sculptural retail spaces in the LVMH universe, including the recently renovated Tiffany’s flagship in New York.
The 72 guest rooms at Cheval Blanc, of which 46 are suites, occupy the Seine side of the Samaritaine, the art seco heritage shopping complex, also restored by LVMH. This translates into some of the best river views of any hotel in the city, on display from in-room bay windows and the rooftop restaurant terraces. Butlers draw baths for guests before they return to their rooms, while guests may be treated to exclusive visits of the Louis Vuitton ateliers near Paris.
In addition to chef Arnaud Donckele’s Plénitude restaurant, Cheval Blanc Paris offers the more casual Le Tout Paris brasserie and Langosteria, the first outpost outside of Milan for the Italian restaurant group. For visitors looking to feel rejuvenated, the Dior spa offers 46 different facial and body treatments, including the unique Rêve Couture, a simultaneous trifecta of manicure, massage, and blow-out.
Picasso and Matisse both lived at the Hôtel Lutetia Paris.
Courtesy of Hôtel Lutetia Paris
6. Hôtel Lutetia
- Neighborhood: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement
- Why we love it: Luxury on the Left Bank
- Website | Book now
From its early days hosting such writers as Samuel Beckett, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce, to serving as a jazz hub in the 1950s (with Miles Davis often in attendance), the Lutetia has always lived up to its reputation as the only designated Grand Dame hotel on the “bohemian” Left Bank. Today a member of the Set hotel group, the Lutetia reopened in the summer of 2018 following a four-year renovation led by noted architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
Now, the original art nouveau–meets–art deco structure provides a backdrop for 184 elegant rooms and suites, each with dark wood paneling, handblown Murano glass, and Carrara marble. The seven signature suites, which include two penthouses, feature private balconies and 360-degree views of the city. Enjoy a drink in the chic Bar Josephine (named for actress and dancer Josephine Baker), then find sanctuary in the glass-roofed Le Saint-Germain salon and its adjacent courtyard. The 7,500-square-foot Akasha Spa features six treatment rooms, a pool, and a state-of-the-art gym. Also worth noting: The hotel is certified by third-party sustainability assessor Green Globe for practices including in-room smart sensors for reduced electricity use and water flow reductors for showers and faucets.
A deluxe suite at La Réserve Paris
Courtesy of La Réserve Paris
7. La Réserve Paris
- Neighborhood: Golden Triangle / Champs-Elysées
- Why we love it: A residential-feeling stay with standout dining
- Website | Book now
Privacy and discretion reign supreme behind the iconic red door of this Jacques Garcia-styled hideaway between the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. The smallest of the capital’s Palace hotels, La Réserve Paris is set up in a former mansion that belonged to the Duc of Morny (Napoleon III’s half-brother). The hotel maintains the feel of a private home, thanks to a mix of Second Empire decorative touches, including parquet floors, crown moldings, cordovan leather paneling, and velvet drapery. It’s easy to linger in the public areas, including the library packed with 3,000 books reserved for guests during the day, the fumoir that looks out onto a leafy courtyard, and salons with plush banquettes and club chairs.
The 40 rooms and suites have soaring ceilings, damascene brocade and taffeta, and a variety of antique furnishings; linens are monogrammed with guest initials. But more importantly, they are incredibly spacious: 430 square feet minimum, a rarity in Paris. The USB sockets are equipped with cords for charging cell phones and tablets of all brands. The oversize minibar stocks 40 kinds of soft drinks, beers, champagne, and wine. Another plus: The courtesy car is available for all guests to use. It’s chauffeur-driven in the evening and can take you to dinner or pick you up from wherever you may be. There is plenty to do right on property, including the 52-foot swimming pool, the small spa with its hammam, and the two-Michelin-star Le Gabriel, where chef Jérôme Banctel serves reimagined French classics.
A Gallery Suite at Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
Courtesy of Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
8. Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
- Neighborhood: Champs-Elysées, 8th arrondissement
- Why we love it: A contemporary hotel with traditional bones
- Website | Book now
The facade may be classic and the location tony, but once inside Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, you’ll feel an unexpectedly edgy spirit running through this Palace-grade hotel, a designation from the government indicating a service experience exceeding five-star service levels (there are just 31 of them in France).
Opened in 1928, the historic spot is now part of the Raffles hotel collection after undergoing a complete renovation in the mid-2000s, overseen by interiors master Phillipe Starck, who filled the spaces with contemporary style, dramatic flair (like oversized lobby sculptures and a stairwell with dozens of chandeliers), and more than 350 pieces of art, many from the hotel’s private collection.
Art is a big focus overall: There’s a well-stocked art-library-cum-bookstore (which draws a lot of gift-seeking locals) and an on-site showroom curated by local gallerists (recent shows have spotlighted street artists, from Basquiat to Banksy). There’s also a resident Art Concierge—the first in Paris—who can create tailored itineraries for guests and arrange for special access, studio tours, and VIP experiences, including, with enough notice, an after-hours visit to the Louvre.
Notable art and photography also feature prominently in the 85 rooms and 64 suites, accenting Starck-designed furniture, walls of mirrors, marble bathrooms with Clarins products, and quirky touches like acoustic guitars and kids’ amenities from Bonpoint. A mobile recording studio can be set up upon request, making the top suites favorites of musicians (including Celine Dion and Beyoncé), while a downstairs screening room hosts weekly movie nights.
Dining options include Japanese fare at Matsuhisa (which also offers sushi-making classes), Michelin-starred Italian at Il Carpaccio, a decadent weekend brunch at La Cuisine (a favorite among Parisians), cigars and spirits at Viñales Lounge, and light bites and nightcaps at Le Bar Long. Work it all off in the longest luxury hotel pool in Paris (it’s just over 75 feet), or book a custom facial or body treatment at the spa, Clarins & myBlend.
The iconic Le Bristol Paris dates to 1925.
Courtesy of Le Bristol Paris
9. Le Bristol Paris
- Location: Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 8th arrondissement
- Why we love it: A celebration of French art de vivre.
- Website | Book now
From the luxury Oetker Collection, Le Bristol is one of the first hotels in France to obtain Palace distinction. Occupying nearly an entire block on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré near the Élysée presidential palace, this soulful property has been a gathering place for Parisians since 1925. The 190 guest rooms, which feel like private apartments, are decorated with precious fabrics, paintings, and 18th-century antiques. The on-site attractions include a spa by Le Prairie, a teak-lined pool resembling a yacht, and a courtyard garden fragrant with jasmine. For more than a decade, chef Eric Frechon has held three Michelin stars at Epicure, where menu fixtures include the macaroni stuffed with black truffle and foie gras. Frechon’s culinary dominions are a portal into French gastronomy itself: The hotel has its own chocolate factory, cheese cellar, flour mill, and boulangerie.
What sets Le Bristol apart is the warmth of the staff, many of whom have worked for the hotel for decades. Jean Philippe Quellier (guests cashier) and Jean-Marie Burlet (head of guest relations) count a half-century between them. The 14-person concierge team doesn’t just sweat the details for guests. They also spoil Socrate, the resident Burmese cat and successor to Fa-Raon, who after years of hotel antics—including elevator rides and naps on Louis Vuitton luggage—retired to the countryside.
La Cour Jardin at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Courtesy of Hôtel Plaza Athénée.
10. Hôtel Plaza Athénée
- Neighborhood: Champs-Élysées, 8th arrondissement
- Why we love it: A fashion-forward stay
- Website | Book now
Part of the Dorchester Collection, this Palace-designated hotel is deeply connected to its setting on the avenue Montaigne, the historic home of haute couture in the Triangle d’Or (Golden Triangle). Just across the street, Christian Dior opened his first shop in 1946 then showed his inaugural collection at the hotel. To this day, the subterranean Dior Spa (currently under renovation before a September relaunch) celebrates the link to the designer.
The 154 guest rooms and 54 suites at Hôtel Plaza Athénée are likewise imbued with a chic couture vibe, whether you choose the classical style or newly renovated art deco rooms, punctuated with pops of red to echo the facade’s geranium-filled window boxes. (Fun fact: Liz Taylor lived in the Royal Suite for six months in 1971.) An undeniable showstopper is the restaurant by Jean Imbert, the chef with a loyal following of celebrities who’s teamed up with Pharrell Williams on several restaurants. Amid the decadent gold and marble (wait until you see the “Royal Table” centerpiece), Imbert resurrects French culinary heritage in dishes such as pigeon Chartreuse with foie gras, and Catherine de Medici’s sea bass and artichokes.
The Peninsula Paris is located in a Hausmannian building that dates back to the early 19th century.
Courtesy of the Peninsula Paris
11. The Peninsula Paris
- Neighborhood: 16th arrondissement
- Why we love it: A grande dame with contemporary-feeling hospitality
- Website | Book now
For the arrival of Peninsula Hotels in Europe in 2014, many millions of euros were lavished on an Avenue Kléber landmark a cobblestone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe. Born in the Belle Epoque as the Hotel Majestic, the historic property where George Gershwin wrote “An American in Paris” was transformed by the country’s finest artisans—including the company of tassel-makers who decorated the Paris Opéra.
The result is a paean to fine French craftsmanship in the marble-swathed public spaces and 200 guest rooms, kitted out with the high-tech gadgets for which the Peninsula is known. From the glass-walled L’Oiseau Blanc rooftop restaurant, the Paris views unspool in all directions. An equally dazzling way to see the city: an after-dark spin in the hotel’s green Rolls-Royce Phantom, available to all guests.
The high-ceilinged Suite de la Reine is more than 860 square feet.
Courtesy of Pavillon de la Reine
12. Pavillon de la Reine
- Neighborhood: Le Marais, 3rd arrondissement
- Why we love it: An unbeatable location on the city’s prettiest square
- Website | Book now
Hidden behind the arcades of the Place des Vosges, this vine-covered hôtel particulier (nobleman’s mansion) is the go-to address for those seeking privacy and authenticity in the popular Marais district. Almost imperceptible from the 17th-century brick square, the tucked-away retreat exudes history in its exposed timber beams and stone floors.
The mood is set right when you walk in: The salon is decorated like a connoisseur’s living room, with fresh flowers, framed oil paintings, and a roaring fire in the winter in front of which you can imbibe a cocktail mixed from the honesty bar. Even the Michelin-starred Anne restaurant—named for Anne of Austria who stayed here when she married King Louis XIII—has a chic familial vibe. A devoted local clientele appreciate the good-value lunch menu (49 euros, or about US$50).
Each of the 56 guest rooms is individually decorated with gilded mirrors, sumptuous trompe l’oeil wallpaper, and period antiques. A number of interconnecting rooms and a designated family suite are perfect for traveling families. To get the most out of the Marais experience, this family-owned maison offers bikes for exploration on two wheels and can arrange guided tours.
The Windsor Suite at the Ritz Paris
Courtesy of the Ritz Paris
13. Ritz Paris
- Neighborhood: Place Vendôme, 1st arrondissement
- Why we love it: A star-studded history on a prestigious Paris place
- Website | Book now
This luxurious institution on the Place Vendôme is the stuff of romance and urban legends. A line forms every night at the no-reservations Bar Hemingway, named for the larger-than-life author who claimed to have “liberated” it from German occupation. (In 1944, the hotel doubled as a Nazi headquarters, and Hemingway was among the soldiers who helped to reclaim it.). A no-expenses-spared restoration unveiled in 2016 restored the grande dame’s luster: The 142 guest rooms are decked out with Empire furniture, floral silk fabrics, and marble fireplaces.
At The Ritz Paris, the fashion crowd vie to bed down in Coco Chanel’s former apartment, now a dedicated suite still housing the designer’s art collection, velvet banquettes, and Chinese lacquered screens. Culinary enthusiasts learn recipes at the Ritz Escoffier School, an homage to the culinary maestro who pioneered a new kind of hotel experience with César Ritz, aka “King of Hoteliers, and Hotelier to Kings.” (He was such a legend, he bequeathed the word “ritzy” to the dictionary.) And pastry fans reserve the Salon Proust for afternoon tea featuring fresh madeleines by pâtissier extraordinaire François Perret.
The Longchamps apartment in the Saint James Paris
Courtesy of Saint James Paris
14. Saint James Paris
- Neighborhood: 16th arrondissement
- Why we love it: The garden setting in the city’s only château-hotel
- Website | Book now
Just 20 minutes by car from central Paris, the Saint James Paris feels like another world: A stone-gated driveway opens onto a 19th-century private mansion that resembles a bucolic countryside estate. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, this family-owned hideaway is both a private members club and a boutique hotel. The 50 guest rooms were renovated in 2021 by designer Laura Gonzalez in eclectic, mix-and-match styles to resemble a collector’s home.
Locals appreciate the Old World vibe of the wood-paneled library bar, where the bartenders take their drinks seriously. Seasonal organic ingredients in the cocktails are cultivated in the hotel’s Fontainebleau vegetable garden, which also supplies the Michelin-starred Bellefeuille restaurant. Chef Julien Dumas’s menu is a poetic litany of terroir-infused dishes: “In the fields of Nonville, the vivacity and freshness of the morning (White asparagus/Pollen/Elderflower)” and “Around the island of Groix, overlooking the ocean (Lobster/Wild fennel).” His deep connection to the land and commitment to sustainability are expressed not just in technical precision but also in joie de vivre on the plate.
The reception area of the Brach is an artistic delight.
Courtesy of the Brach
15. Brach Paris
- Neighborhood: 16th arrondissement
- Why we love it: Effortlessly cool style—and legendary parties
- Website | Book now
When the Evok Collection opened Brach inside a former postal sorting facility in 2018, the hotel was an instant hit. Now, this residential corner of the posh 16th arrondissement is the cool rendezvous spot for in-the-know Parisians. The energetic vibe starts with the design, courtesy of Philippe Starck’s famous melange of styles—an African mask here, a sculptural lamp there.
This warmth infuses the 59 guest rooms, done up in a marvelous mix of marble, leather, and wood. The city’s glitterati rub shoulders at the popular (and family-friendly) brunch and covet memberships at the next-level sports club, styled as a 1930s boxing club, complete with a 72-foot pool. Come summer, the rooftop terrace turns into a trendy hangout with 360-degree views of the city from the vegetable garden and henhouse. Take a dip in the terrace’s Norwegian bath, cocktail in hand, and you’ll see why Brach is the darling of the district.
