Le Bristol Paris

The most well-mannered of the Paris grand hotels is Le Bristol Paris, named after an English lord and a bishop. It is also by far the most reserved. Rather appropriately, it’s where Newland Archer stays in that final, heartbreaking scene in Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence, when he goes to see Madame Olenska and, at the last minute, holds back. There is something about Le Bristol that inspires both romance and restraint.

Like a frosted cake, Le Bristol is creamy Art Deco on the outside, and decadent 18th-century within. It’s particularly fine in spring, when the window boxes of geraniums are in bloom and the large garden is redolent with the smell of magnolia. The pool is one of the few in Paris, and though small, it is beautiful, enclosed in glass and bathed in Parisian sunlight.

With its 18th-century antique furniture, Gobelin tapestries, and artwork that once hung in the Louvre, Le Bristol is as pure a dose of pre-modern Parisian style as you’re likely to run across these days. But in spite of this, it never looks aged or faded. The penthouse, which has played host to everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Prince, has been subtly refurbished, its once-unfortunate yellow replaced with cool white. Nonetheless, for all its character it’s a favorite among style leaders — you won't have a chance of getting a room during fashion week.

As for why it’s so popular, we have a few guesses. Maybe it’s the silent, inscrutable staff, who insiders swear give the greatest service in the city. Maybe it's those bathrooms — the largest in Paris. Maybe it’s the long-serving chef Eric Frechon. Or maybe it’s the spa, by the Swiss brand La Prairie. Most of all, though, it’s got to be the atmosphere. Plenty of hotels aim to recapture the Paris of years past — it’s just that this one comes quite a bit closer than most.