Best Historical Hotels in Paris

Gazing down upon the Place de la Concorde, Hotel Crillon provides guests with a quintessentially Parisian experience, exceptional service, and sophisticated luxury. The hotel’s suites and rooms are light and open, and their furnishings as well as the artwork which adorn their wall hark back to the great history of Paris. The hotel is home to many different dining establishments like the Nonos and Comestibles which offer modern classics and L’Ecrin which is acclaimed as one of Paris’s top fine dining restaurants. The hotel also boasts a patisserie and the legendary Bar les Ambassadeurs whose interior transports one to the dining rooms of Versailles. The hotel is also home to Sense, its signature spa which provides guests with a variety of treatment options to meet their every need.

Stay in the regal building that was once home to Prince Roland Bonaparte. It’s listed among France’s “Monuments Historiques” and has an enviable location opposite the Seine and facing the Eiffel Tower. As such, rooms (all with seating areas, marble bathrooms and Guerlain toiletries) have an outlook of one or both of these landmarks, with private balconies providing the opportunity for the most romantic of selfies. The hotel group has its roots in Asia, so you’ll find plenty of aesthetic and cultural influences, particularly in the food. And the dining at Shangri-La Paris is something very special, with two refined restaurants, one of which is Michelin-starred.

Located in the Golden Triangle of Paris, The Four Seasons Hotel George V occupies a 1920s art deco hotel which is chic and welcoming. The hotel’s 244 rooms and suites are spacious and historic, some of the suites even boast views of the Eiffel Tower. The hotel also has a dedicated concierge service, newspaper service, spa and provides guests with luxury bath products. Yet the hotel stands out in its own right due to its dining options. The hotel is home to three Michelin-starred restaurants which have been awarded a total of six Michelin stars. This lineup includes Le Cinq, a three Michelin star restaurant by Christian Le Squer, it is world-renowned for being one of the best restaurants anywhere. The hotel is also home to a cosy and intimate bar which serves coffee, cocktails, and light dishes.

If you saw the final episodes of HBO’s Sex and the City TV series, you’ll recognise Hôtel Plaza Athénée as the splendid establishment in which Carrie Bradshaw stayed. The character was wowed by the view from her suite balcony, and you will be too as it’s opposite the capital’s most iconic emblem. The front elevation features wrought-iron balconies planted with colourful flowers and is found on Avenue Montaigne, close to designer boutiques. After a spot of nearby shopping, you can unwind in the hotel’s Dior spa and dine in its Michelin-starred restaurant.

Located on Avenue Kleber, just a few hundred yards from the Arc de Triomphe and close to Montaigne with its chic designer boutiques, The Peninsula is central for those days out, wherever you’re headed. Traditional blends with contemporary in this opulent 200-room hotel. A-listers from stage and screen, and international sports stars are frequent visitors to enjoy the sumptuous rooms, and suites displaying expensive artworks and traditional dark woods with contemporary fittings. Bathrooms have marble floors and walls, deep luxurious bathtubs, and double sinks. Every convenience you can imagine is included in the rooms – and some. A 5-star hotel with a ‘Palace’ reputation.

Sitting in the centre of old historical Paris, on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, The Bristol was the first hotel to be labelled a ‘Palace’ (French terminology for a hotel a cut above five-star). Opened in 1925, and now one of the Oetker group hotels, its marble foyer, crystal chandeliers, 17th-century tapestries, and Louis XV and XVI style furnishings, resonate affluence. The hotel has an award-winning spa, a sixth-floor swimming pool with panoramic views across Paris, and two Michelin-starred restaurants. Just 14 miles from Orly Airport and 18.5 miles from Charles de Gaulle Airport, the hotel also offers charging points for electric vehicles, should you decide to hire a car during your stay.

Le Royal Monceau is an exceedingly fashionable hotel situated in the centre of Paris. Its interior is bathed in natural light and adorned with modern art pieces which give it a chic flair. The hotel’s rooms and suites are warm and homely, they are all unique and try to tell a different story about the history of Paris, this makes the rooms feel quintessentially Parisian. The hotel is home to a 1500 sq. m Spa and fitness centre which has a 23m pool, fitness coaches, saunas and a hammam. The Royal Monceau also offers guests many experiences such as cooking classes, cinema viewings in its onsite cinema and yoga classes just to name a few. The Royal Monceau boasts various dining options like the exquisite Matushi Japanese restaurant and the Michelin-starred Il Carpaccio Italian restaurant. There are also two bars: Le Bar Long, an exceptional Parisian-style bar and the tranquil Vinales Lounge.

The J.K. Place Paris is an exquisite modern and sophisticated hotel which is just a stone’s throw away from the Place de La Concorde. The hotel’s 29 rooms and suites are playful and homely. Though the rooms are modern they have an air of stately grandeur which makes one feel absolutely at home in the heart of Paris. The rooms are equipped with Dyson hairdryers, Alma K Toiletries, custom robes, and ready-charged power banks, JK place truly has it all. The hotel’s signature restaurant, Casa Tua, serves classic French and Italian cuisine in a beautiful dining room which is lit up by wide windows and a lovely atmosphere. For guests wishing to relax after a long day of exploring Paris, the hotel has its own spa and gym.

The Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Paris, is an iconic 5-star masterpiece of the Parisian Art Deco era. Since opening its doors in 1929, the Prince de Galles has stood as a beacon of elegance and refinement in Paris, France. The hotel offers 159 rooms, including 43 suites, providing a luxurious retreat. Situated on Avenue George V, it is just a 5-minute stroll from the Champs-Elysées, Avenue Montaigne, and renowned landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The hotel’s new Parisian cocktail bar, 19.20, offers a sophisticated and exclusive setting to enjoy cocktails inspired by Paris, explore the world of cognac, and sample some of the finest wines and champagnes from local producers.

Occupying an estate and chateau the Saint James is one of the most romantic and luxurious hotels to be found anywhere in Europe. Saint James despite its gardens and privacy is located in the central, 16th neighbourhood, which is not only one of Paris’s most exclusive areas but is also close to many of its major sites. The hotel’s rooms, suites, villas, and apartments are decadent, light, and historical with every inch of every room feeling like an 18th-century Chateau which has been skilfully brought into the 21st century. The Saint James is also home to a fully equipped fitness centre and the Guerlain Spa which offers exceptional treatments to guests. The Saint James is also home to many dining establishments like the Red and Green Michelin-starred Bellefeuille with a decadent French menu curated by the acclaimed chef Gregory Garimbay and The Library Bar which feels like the British gentlemen’s club it used to be.

Tradition has a lot to do with the city of love, and there is no better place to get totally immersed in tradition than the 5-star Hotel Raphael. Operated by the same family for four generations, the hotel maintains the highest of time-honoured, traditional standards. Situated in the city’s business centre, close to the Arc de Triomphe, each room is as unique as the hotel itself. With its large collection of lovingly restored antiques and traditional décor and furnishings, it is the ideal place to base yourself, for a little Parisian amour.

When you pay four figures a night for your accommodation, you expect nothing less than the very best of five-star everything. At La Reserve Paris Hotel and Spa, you get just that. Situated on the fashionable Avenue Gabriel, the hotel verges on the ambience of a private gentleman’s club. Built during the 1800s, and providing stunning views across the Paris skyline, the interior was completely redesigned by hotel designer Jacques Garcia. With its modern feel, yet traditional look, the décor and furnishings allude to the personal service which is so much a feature of the hotel.