The rich and illustrious history of Le Meurice is genuinely mindboggling: with its central location and sweeping views over the Tuileries Gardens, the hotel, which dates back over two centuries, has played host to glamorous figures from Elizabeth Taylor to Mata Hari. But arguably its biggest claim to fame? Its seriously impressive credentials as a meeting place for some of the 20th century’s most prestigious artists and thinkers. (Salvador Dalí spent an entire month here annually for three decades, while everyone from Émile Zola to Andy Warhol to Bob Dylan has spent time roaming its corridors, and Picasso even hosted his wedding reception there.) It’s a spirit that still courses through the energy of the hotel today, with its playful, iconoclastic interiors, from the surreal sculpture of two swirling columns locked in an embrace that dominates the lobby, to the breathtaking painting that covers the entire ceiling of the central dining space that was created by Phillipe Starck’s daughter, Ara, when he gave the hotel a comprehensive design refresh in 2007. Take a short elevator ride up to one of the hotel’s 160 rooms and suites, however, and you’ll find the classic interior stylings of a grand Paris hotel (it is housed within what’s believed to be the oldest palace in France, after all) delivered with an effortlessly light touch, with a palette of creams and powder blues covering plush bedrooms and delicately marbled bathrooms. —L.H.
Amenities: Full-service spa, two restaurants, health club, laundry facilities, ballroom and event spaces
Address: 228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel George V
Hide yourself away in this breathtaking Art Deco landmark just off the Champs-Élysées (the upscale area also referred to as the Golden Triangle), which has earned a well-justified reputation as one of the most opulent stays in all of Paris—and a crown jewel of the Four Seasons hotel empire. Like many of the city’s most storied grande dame hotels, the George V boasts an illustrious history: originally opened in 1928 by an American businessman, it’s been a particular favorite of U.S. guests landing in the City of Lights ever since, although it now draws a far more international—and impressively glittering—crowd. Your stay here will begin with a wander through the jaw-dropping, marble-floored lobby: with 244 keys—including plenty of suites with bewitching Eiffel Tower views—the scale of the place is impressive, but once you’re tucked away in your quarters, you’ll find the vibe is surprisingly intimate. After a day of sightseeing and shopping, recharge at any one of the three on-property, Michelin-starred restaurants—there’s the iconic Le Cinq, but on my visit, I enjoyed dinner at the equally fantastic L’Orangerie, where Chef Alan Taudon whipped up a dazzling tasting menu of seafood and some entirely plant-based dishes that spanned a delicate plate of spider crab with smoked caviar all the way up to his riff on a bread and butter pudding. (It features miso and malty caramel, and is almost absurdly delicious.) Also among the hotel’s many highlights? The lavish spa, which is designed with an unusually large swimming pool for Paris, as well as the curated experiences ranging from wine masterclasses to private Seine river cruises. —L.H.