Paris

Paris sets the standard for what a palace hotel can be. The Ritz, Le Bristol, Cheval Blanc Paris, Plaza Athénée and Le Meurice each carry the rare Palace distinction — a classification awarded by the French Ministry of Tourism to fewer than thirty hotels in the entire country. These are not simply five-star hotels; they are institutions, with staffing ratios, culinary programmes, and architectural histories that place them in a category of their own.

The 1st and 8th arrondissements are the traditional heartland of Parisian luxury. The Ritz faces the Place Vendôme; Le Meurice faces the Tuileries; the Plaza Athénée commands the Avenue Montaigne. But the city's hotel geography has expanded: Cheval Blanc occupies the former La Samaritaine department store on the Seine; The Peninsula Paris anchors the 8th from the Avenue Kléber; and Bulgari Paris has brought its jewellery-house aesthetic to the Avenue George V.

Paris is the world's most Michelin-starred city. Many of its greatest restaurants are housed within its great hotels: Le Cinq at Four Seasons George V (three stars), Epicure at Le Bristol (three stars), Le Grand Véfour at the Palais-Royal. Booking a hotel with a serious restaurant is not merely convenient — it is often the best way to secure a table at one of the city's most coveted addresses.

The city rewards neighbourhood specificity. The Marais (Le Pavillon de la Reine, Hôtel du Petit Moulin) offers a quieter, more residential Paris. Saint-Germain-des-Prés (L'Hôtel, Relais Christine) delivers the literary Left Bank. The 16th (Shangri-La Paris, Molitor) provides Eiffel Tower views and residential calm. Paris is large enough that a wrong arrondissement can define a trip.

May, June, September and October are Paris at its best: mild weather, full cultural programming, and the city at its most alive. July and August see many Parisians leave and some restaurants close; January and February are quiet but cold. Fashion Week months (January, March, June, October) bring the highest hotel rates of the year.