You don’t just check into Hôtel de Crillon – you step into a living, breathing love letter to Paris. It sits poised on Place de la Concorde, but it may as well straddle two centuries. In one moment, you’re gliding past Corinthian columns and Marie Antoinette’s old piano rooms. In the next, you’re ordering CBD massage oil from a butler while admiring the ceiling of Bar Les Ambassadeurs – a ceiling, I might add, that’s officially protected as a national treasure.
Originally commissioned by Louis XV in 1758 and once home to the Count of Crillon, this palace-turned-hotel reopened in 2017 after a meticulous four-year restoration. And while it pays exquisite homage to its 18th-century bones, it doesn’t feel stuck in time. It’s timeless. A jewel box of Parisian excellence where every brass knob, velvet chair and Baccarat chandelier is telling you: you’ve arrived.
As someone who has stayed in some very special hotels, let me say this clearly: this is the best I’ve ever experienced. Everything – the marble, the lighting, the service, the silence – is a dream.
The Lobby That Speaks Of What’s To Come
The entrance alone is theatre. Guests arrive not at a sterile reception desk, but into an opulently panelled antechamber, complete with plush armchairs and carved detailing. It’s the kind of space that invites you to sit, sip a tea, and recalibrate.
To the left: Butterfly Pâtisserie, glowing with the soft pinks and pistachios of world-class patisserie. To the right: Les Ambassadeurs, glittering with candlelight, live piano and a quietly decadent energy. The main hallway stretches forward like a runway, leading you to salons, dining rooms, courtyards and eventually the spa. Around every corner, another surprise: a floral installation by Djordje Varda, a Karl Lagerfeld-designed apartment, a perfectly preserved Louis XV panel.
Even check-in is elevated – handled in an intimate salon, not behind a desk. It sets the tone: this is not just hospitality. This is theatre, intimacy and reverence all rolled into one.
A Room That Feels Like A Parisian Dream
My suite – one of 124 rooms, including 36 suites and 10 Signature Suites – was a masterclass in restrained opulence. Think soft dove-grey walls punctuated by powder-blue armchairs, a crystal drinks cart stocked with fine spirits, and Taschen books on Matisse nestled beside antique objets d’art. It felt both impossibly grand and quietly personal.
The bathroom? A marble sanctuary. Twin vanities, a rain shower, an in-mirror television, and a freestanding tub so deep I may have briefly time-travelled. The Officine Universelle Buly 1803 bath products, of course, were reason enough to linger. And the bed – sumptuous and cloudlike – wrapped me in Rivolta Carmignani linens that made it near impossible to leave. At one point I opened the portes-fenêtres, curled up on the chaise longue, and listened to the soft Paris rain while sipping tea. Heaven.
If you’re going all out, book the Suite Louis XV for views of the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais and Place de la Concorde, or the Suite Duc de Crillon, which retains the carved woodwork from the Count’s former private chapel – some of which now lives in the Met Museum in New York.
Dining Worthy Of Its Address
Breakfast the next morning was served in Jardin d’Hiver, where glimmering mica stone walls and fresh orchids set the mood. The menu is as elegant as the surroundings: from buttery pastries and housemade jams to the ‘Chic Breakfast’ (think eggs any way, smoked salmon and a mimosa in hand before 9am).
For lunch, I wandered into Comestibles, the chic little deli space set in the hotel’s courtyard. It’s perfect for a lighter bite – salads, sandwiches and pâté so delicate it should come with a warning label.
That night, I dined at Nonos, the newest restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Paul Pairet. The menu is classic French grill, reimagined. We started with Pairet’s reworked tzatziki and warm focaccia, followed by a roast of the day marinated in teriyaki and paired with a carafe of Château Gassier’s exclusive rosé, made just for Hôtel de Crillon. It’s Paris, with a twist.
And Butterfly Pâtisserie deserves its own paragraph. Headed by Matthieu Carlin, it’s an ode to confectionery couture. My favourite? The yuzu tart – sharp, silky, unforgettable.
Cocktails Under A Historic Ceiling
Bar Les Ambassadeurs is the kind of place you’ll want to cancel your plans for. Once the hotel’s ballroom, its soaring, frescoed ceiling has been lovingly restored and paired with low lighting, velvet banquettes and a cocktail menu disguised as a board game. You roll the dice, land on a flavour note – herbal, smoky, spicy – and let the mixologist guide your adventure. I started with an espresso martini and ended with something so smoky and citrusy it felt like Paris in a glass.
The Spa: Serenity With 17,000 Gold Scales
Beneath it all lies Sense, A Rosewood Spa, a tranquil cocoon of pale stone, flickering candles and hushed corridors. The swimming pool – lined with 17,000 shimmering gold scales – glistens beneath a glass roof. There are eucalyptus steam rooms, heated stone beds, and a Himalayan salt wall that seems to absorb the stress of city life.
A Neighbourhood That Steals Your Heart
Crillon’s location is unbeatable. Step outside and you’re in the heart of the city’s Golden Triangle. The Louvre is minutes away, as are the Tuileries, Musée de l’Orangerie, and the boutiques of Rue Saint-Honoré. On lazy afternoons, the concierge can book a cruise on the Seine, or arrange for you to be chauffeured in the hotel’s custom 1973 Citroën DS – an icon of French cool, fully restored by interior designer Tristan Auer.
Sustainability, The Subtle Way
It’s not often a palace hotel thinks about its footprint, but Crillon is quietly progressive. Beauty products come in recyclable aluminium tubes, plastic is avoided wherever possible, and room keys are made from sustainably sourced wood. In the kitchens, fish and vegetables are locally sourced, and the spa’s products favour botanicals over synthetics. Even the staff uniforms – redesigned by Hugo Matha – favour comfort and circular fashion.
Final Thoughts? Just Book It.
Hôtel de Crillon is all about thoughtful detail, living history, and slow-burning luxury. If you’re looking for the best hotel in Paris – the hotel that will spoil you, ground you and absolutely ruin you for all others – this is it.
And if you’re lucky? You’ll never want to check out.
Marie Claire Recommends:
- Don’t miss: the CBD massage and cocktails at Les Ambassadeurs
- Book now: Suite Louis XV for the ultimate Eiffel Tower view
- Bring: your most glamorous outfit – and your appetite
- Best moment: slipping into that bed, rain tapping on the balcony
- Final tip: Ask your butler to book a floral design workshop. Très chic.
