Who's Going
Beyonce Knowles, Sarah Jessica Parker, Carla Bruni
Reason to Stay
Luxury Suites, 3-Star Michelin Eatery, Dior Spa
Hotel Type
Luxury Hotel
It's the chicest corner of Avenue Montaigne, directly opposite the flagship Dior, located in a stylish Haussmann-style 1911 building accessorized in black art-nouvau balconies and colorful red window shades that change throughout the year. It's the ideal Paris neighborhood for high-end shopping and strolls along Saint Honore, just across the touristy Champs-Elysées to get there. A cozy staircase entryway opens to a grand lobby of high white-plaster ceiling adorned in elaborate crystal chandeliers with a Cinderella-décor that fulfills any first-timer's dream of Paris. The hotel is built around a center garden-atrium home to a café scene by day and bar scene by night under walls of climbing vines intersected by red awnings.
Plaza Athenee is home to an array of gastronomic and more-casual eateries, the best of which is 3-Star Michelin Alain Ducasse located in a surprisingly tame Patrick Jouin-designed space of red-backed chairs and 20-foot crystal chandelier. By day, a showy scene of Ferrari-drivers try to score front row parking along the streetfront Terrasse Restaurant that's a magnet for celebrity diners in full Paris-character as well as other nouveau-riche visitors who come in the footsteps of Carrie Bradshaw, Jackie O and Edith Piaf. In-house Dior Institut is a must for spa-lovers with marble architecture of soothing white spaces and white glove body treatments. At night, the hotel zeros in on the Le Bar that's a sleek scene of illuminated onyx bar with metallic barstools and lounge scene of pop stars and Black Card flashers.
The Room
Since being acquired by the Dorchester Collection, the hoteliers who now run the Hotel Bel-Air and Le Meurice, the Plaza Athenee has undergone a much-deserved remodel of guest rooms and suites. Smaller than it appears, the hotel and its 146 rooms and 45 suites include an entry-level room most scene by Paris virgins that s smaller than they expect (325-sqaure-feet) with older Louis XVI décor of striped headboards, floral curtains and heavy brassy detailing. Those that can should splurge on a Junior Suite or larger, preferably on one of two floors with Deco-theme design of attractive Louis furnishings covered in dark velvet upholstery in spacious living areas. Whimsical bathrooms with rococo mirrors and bathtubs laid in swirling marble detailing are the prettiest in Paris. Our favorite room in the house is Eiffel Suite 750 that captures iconic views of the city from a large rooftop terrace and stylish deco-theme living areas that recapture Paris’s 20s flair.
Preferred Room
Eiffel Suite 750
Special Features
Designer Decor, Gourmet Eatery, Hip Lounge, Street-Level Cafe
Amenities
Restaurant, Bar, Lounge, Cafe, Spa, Fitness Room
