Hôtel de Crillon

The Hôtel de Crillon has been more or less synonymous with Parisian luxury hospitality since 1909, when this 18th-century neoclassical palace first opened its doors to the paying public. It’s always been in the public eye, thanks to its privileged position on the Place de la Concorde, the backdrop to so many of this city’s defining events, and thanks to the fact that it’s remained for all these years as perhaps the quintessential Parisian luxury hotel. And even in its new incarnation, as Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, it remains as singular as ever.

An all-star team of French architects, creative directors, and interior designers are responsible for its current look, and even the Karl Lagerfeld–designed suites are true to the 18th-century character of the Hôtel de Crillon — no surprise, as Lagerfeld himself was an expert in the visual language of the era. It’s remarkably intimate for a hotel of its stature, emphasizing the feeling of a grand palace residence rather than the busy bustle of a typical five-star city hotel. And underneath its period-correct surface, the Hôtel de Crillon is thoroughly up to date; the rooms and suites may drip with historical elegance, but they’re functionally as modern as can be.

Meanwhile the dazzling spa features an unforgettable subterranean infinity pool among its impressive spaces. And the hotel’s restaurants make a compelling case for a night in: from the fine-dining L’Ecrin to chef Paul Pairet’s Nonos, a French-style grill with an adjoining deli counter. The Jardin d’Hiver serves coffee and pastries by chef Matthieu Carlin, and the Bar Les Ambassadeurs pours champagne and inventive seasonal cocktails accompanied by caviar or lobster rolls.