If the walls of The Peninsula Paris could talk, it’ll tell you a thousand stories. The reimagined, palatial hotel from 1908 has had its previous glamour restored, with an obscene amount of gold leaf gilding and an opulent lobby chandelier made from hundreds of Lasvit crystal leaves. And it has a famous neighbour in the rich, 16th arrondissement – the Arc du Triomphe.
We struggled to leave our elegant suite… even when some of Paris’ most must-see sites were right on the doorstep. Can you blame us, when we were too busy sipping champagne on our private rooftop garden, overlooking what is arguably the most romantic city in the world?
Inside, a calm, modern suite was at our disposal, immaculately decorated in light champagne-monochrome colour tones and neutral decor. It was almost as if screaming at us to get into Parisian party mode and mess it all up, rock and roll style! While the building is old-world grandeur, the vibe and clientele are far more hedonistic here at the Peninsula Paris. We can only imagine what happens in these suites during Fashion Week! But in calmer times, fabulous artwork by French artist Patricia Erbelding accent the walls, while another standout feature was the tech – everything in-suite and at the hotel was right at our fingertips with a mere tap on the interactive bedside control panel.
At any such French luxury hotel, you’d expect that the food and beverage would be stupendous. And the Peninsula Paris goes the distance to exceed that expectation. We loved LiLi, with its giant retro-chic mural and opium-den atmosphere – the dim-sum here is the talk of the town. But there’s also L’Oiseau Blanc, the rooftop restaurant and bar teeming in the spirit of travel. On its terrace, you’ll spy the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance. Magnifique!
Cocktail central is the oak-panelled Le Bar Kleber, boasting the refreshed period features of the old hotel. Parisians are hard to please, but our local guests were more than impressed when they joined us for a drink.
And when we had enough joie de vivre, we escaped to the property’s gorgeous spa, featuring a sublime 20-metre pool and treatments to refresh and reinvigorate. Try the Biologique Recherche facial, it’ll reverse time and get you ready to head out and party in Paris again.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Hedonist | CDG | GMT +1 |
| While you’re Out There |
| See Versailles like an insider, top of our list on the hotel’s Peninsula Academy programme of unique experiences. It’s no secret that one of the most opulent palaces in the world (other than the Peninsula Paris) is an over-touristed site. But by heading out with the team from the Peninsula, not only will you get a private, behind-the-scenes tour that includes access to areas that are usually closed to the public – including the former living quarters of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette – but you’ll also be taken there in a special edition Rolls-Royce Phantom. |
Photography courtesy of The Peninsula Hotels
