Palatial Splendour: Why A Visit To The The Peninsula Paris Needs To Be On Your Travel Radar
Polish your crown for The Peninsula Paris, a storied landmark that ensures you’ll have your leading lady moment
In a city filled with distractions, boulevards lined with designer flagship boutiques, corners enlivened by chatter-filled cafes, and museums showcasing renowned masterpieces, it takes a very special property to lure you in, and more importantly, keep you there for the duration of your visit to the aptly coined City of Light.
Cue: The Peninsula Paris. Not just a hotel, but a Belle Epoque Palace – a distinction bestowed to just a few properties that rise far above the regular five-star status. Taking pride of place on Avenue Kleber in a 19th century Haussmann building, you’re in the grand, picture-postcard heart of the French capital, immortalised by Hollywood movies and Instagram Reels, complete with a fleet of trademark green Rolls-Royces parked outside at your disposal.
And although the building’s architectural accents have been painstakingly restored since it was transformed in 2014 from the Hotel Majestic, (a favourite of Pablo Picasso, George Gershwin and Marcel Proust) into The Peninsula, discerning clients – the hotel has a roster of celebrity clients used to creature comforts – don’t forgo the latest innovations. You’ll find you can instinctively master the touch pads that operate every aspect of the room, picking from 11 languages including Arabic, and control everything from the lights in the walk-in closet to the temperature of the room.
The hotel anticipates things you never thought you needed: there’s even a nail-dryer at the dressing table while the spa bath soothes in the privacy of your own room. There are so many highlights to tick off once you’ve checked in, you’ll find it hard to venture out. Pampering is par for the course, but when it comes to superlatives, The Peninsula Spa steals the show. The longest pool in Paris, at 20m, shares space with treatment rooms and a sprawling gym, while beauty insiders get ready to face Fashion Week with Dr Barbara Sturm’s Signature Sturmglow facial.
Looking for a Michelin-starred meal? Head up to two-starred L’Oiseau Blanc, perched at the summit with views of the Eiffel Tower for regionally focussed French haute cuisine prepared by Ducasse’s protégé Christophe Raoux. Or opt for arguably the best Cantonese meal in the country – the roast duck is a speciality – at vibrant LiLi.
Don’t forget to book ahead for the multi-tiered afternoon tea, taken in the Rococo lounge complete with a live pianist – the people-watching scene is as delightful as the cuisine. What this palace does best is make you feel special – you feel like you’re the star when you enter. It has a certain je ne sais quoi that cannot be captured in words, but can only be experienced in person.
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From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s June 2023 issue