The one luxury hotel you cannot miss in Paris
The Shangri-La in Paris is everything you’d expect and more – from stunning views to unbeatable service
Paris, perhaps more than any other city in the world, offers plenty of opportunities to star in your own movie.
Strolling through the dappled sun in the Jardins de Luxembourg, sipping a glass of wine at the terraced cafes surrounding the Place des Vosges, even climbing the stairs of Montmartre.
Add to that list the entrance hall, the view, and almost everything about Shangri-La’s Parisian outpost. Audrey Hepburn eat your heart out; this place makes anyone feel like an A-lister.
Built originally for Prince Roland Bonaparte, the 19th century residence that now serves as home to Paris’ most discerning visitors still has the historical touch. Bonaparte’s ‘B’ motif still adorns much of the original decor. Guests are made to feel not unlike French royalty from the moment one arrives – an army of elegant staff whisking luggage away to the well-appointed rooms, heels clicking on the immaculately polished marble floors. It does rather set the tone.
As you’d expect from a Shangri-La this is luxury of the highest order; all high-end cosmetics, thousand-plus thread-counts and impeccable service. But it’s not all those little touches, from the impeccable turndown service to the artfully stocked minibar, that take your breath away: from the river-facing rooms, it’s the unobstructed, crystal clear view of the Tour Eiffel that takes one’s breath away, day or night.
Hearteningly for a luxury hotel, the Shangri-La is lively with Parisian voices day and night, with the grand event spaces evoking all the glamour you’d expect of a purpose-built Bonaparte palace. The ground-floor atrium restaurant, La Bauhinia, serves as an airy and light meeting point for guests, ladies who lunch and grand family celebrations – the seafood inspired menu bringing a touch of both the Med and Asia to the Parisian table, never more so than on the quite extraordinarily lavish seafood Sunday brunch.. Downstairs lies Shang Palace, the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in all of France. A stunning bar – Le Bar Botaniste – pays tribute to Roland Bonaparte’s botanic career and a beautiful lounge room is buzzing and busy all day with some of the finest French suits you’ll ever see.
If Paris is the city of light this might be its most sparkling hotel. For a luxury break in Paris, you really can’t go wrong at the Shangri-La.