This hotel is on our list of The 15 Best Hotels in Paris.
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.
