Marble bathtubs, grand pianos, furniture designed by Karl Lagerfeld – and prices of up to £40k a NIGHT: Inside the best rooms in ultra-luxury ‘palace-rated’ hotels in France
- These hotels are so amazing they’re deemed to enhance the reputation of France around the world
- Here we’re taking you through the keyholes of the top-tier suites in 18 palace-rated properties
- They don’t come cheap, but you get what you pay for – one of France’s most heavenly hotel havens
The well-heeled don’t need to settle for five-star hotels in France – they can go a step up and book into a property given a ‘palace’ rating by the French government. These hotels are so amazing they’re deemed to enhance the reputation of France around the world.
Even the cheapest room in any palace-rated hotel will be very swish, but here we’re taking you through the keyholes of the top-tier suites in 18 palace-rated properties – a glimpse of some of France’s most heavenly hotel havens.
They don’t come cheap, costing from around £1,700 to £40,000 a night. But you get what you pay for, and in these instances that’s marble bathtubs, grand pianos, private gyms, furniture by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, landscaped gardens and breathtaking views…
Chateau Saint-Martin & Spa in Vence, Provence – Duplex Suite, from 2,000 euros (£1,720)
The Duplex Suite in the Chateau Saint-Martin & Spa hotel has a ‘charming’ secret bedroom on the top floor of a tower – and a private balcony adjoining the living room with ‘stunning’ views over the French Riviera. The bedroom also offers ‘beautiful views of the hills and the sea’. The hotel says the accommodation is ‘ideal for romantic stays, honeymooners, or families’
Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel – Palace Sea View Suite, from 3,900 euros (£3,360)
Fans of Emily in Paris may recognise this suite (No.306), as it was used as a filming location for episode two in season two. It offers ‘a breathtaking view over the Mediterranean’ and has ‘the feeling of a private residence’. Features include a spacious living room, marble bathroom with a deep soaking tub, and a glass-enclosed walk-in shower with Diptyque bath amenities
Hotel Barriere Les Neiges Courchevel – La Suite Les Neiges, from 6,800 euros (£5,855) per night
La Suite Les Neiges is set on the top two floors of Hotel Barriere Les Neiges in the ski village of Courchevel 1850, boasting 210 square metres (2,260 sq ft) of ‘elegance, tranquillity and splendour with panoramic views’. There is a double lounge with fireplace, a dining area that can seat eight guests, and a master bedroom with a lounge area, open-plan bathroom and dressing room. Charles Richez, General Manager, declares: ‘[The hotel] has become a key player in terms of increasing France’s appeal as a destination’
Hotel Byblos Saint-Tropez – Missoni Home Suite, from 5,000 euros (£4,300)
The Missoni Home Suite is spread over 1,950 sq ft (180 sq m) and comprises two bedrooms, four bathrooms, a living room with a pool view and a ‘beautiful’ private terrace. Stay five nights or more and the price includes a helicopter transfer from Nice airport
Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel – Les Grands Appartements de Karl Lagerfeld – from 47,000 euros (£40,000)
The fourth-floor Grands Appartements, with views of the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde, were designed ‘to interpret [the late] fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld’s personal vision of French chic and modernity’. There are three in total, and when combined, cover 3,606 sq ft (335 square metres). Each features bespoke furniture designed by Lagerfeld. The hotel reveals that one of the bathtubs (in the top two pictures) was carved from a single slab of Carrara marble weighing in at over two tonnes and was lifted through a window by a crane. It was then placed on two blocks of ice which, as they melted, made it possible for the tub to be manoeuvred into position without damaging the floor
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes – Eden-Roc Suite, from 10,000 euros (£8,600)
The Eden-Roc Suite, renovated in 2022, is ‘an invitation to meditation, with its light-blue tones and incredible view over the Mediterranean Sea and the Lerins Islands’. One of the most eye-catching features is a terrace covering 200 square metres (2,152 sq ft) on which guests will find a ‘magnificent landscape garden’ and whirlpool bath
Hotel Plaza Athenee, Dorchester Collection, Paris – La Suite Haute Couture (No.361), from 12,000 euros a night (£10,300)
Book into La Suite Haute Couture (No.361), and you’ll find, says the hotel, that ‘the spirit of Haute Couture lives on in every personalised, hand-tailored detail’. The hotel continues: ‘Elaborate moldings accentuate wonderful high ceilings, rich couture-house fabrics add a layer of sumptuous delight and unique details… bring this suite together to form an elegant personal space and living work of art’
Hotel Royal Evian, Evian-les-Bains – Royal Suite, from 7,620 euros (£6,560)
Guests access the Royal Suite via a private lift, which deposits them in the Hotel Royal Evian’s ‘most spacious and prestigious’ slice of accommodation. The hotel reveals that it comprises two large bedrooms, each with marble bathrooms, a ‘vast’ living room with a bar, dining table and pool table – and a terrace from which the Alps and Lake Geneva can be admired
La Reserve Ramatuelle, near Saint-Tropez – Taillat Suite, from 4,200 euros (£3,600)
The Taillat Suite ‘provides a unique, magnificent encounter with the Mediterranean’, declares La Reserve Ramatuelle, revealing that it has ‘elegant decor, designer furniture, a softly luminous colour scheme, large picture windows and generous spaces, including a large outside living area’
L’Apogee Courchevel, Courchevel 1850, The Penthouse – from 12,000 euros (£10,330)
Guests booking into The Penthouse in L’Apogee Courchevel, in a wooded area in swanky ski resort Courchevel 1850, ‘enjoy extraordinary views all the way down the beautiful valley’, the hotel says. What’s more, ‘the hot tub on the roof terrace means they can immerse themselves in the extraordinary Alpine scenery while soothing their limbs’. The hotel adds that the suite is finished in ‘plush soft materials’ and comes complete with a ‘stylish dining room’
Le Bristol Paris – Suite Paris, from 11,000 euros (£9,500)
The ‘beloved’ Paris Suite, refurbished in 2020, features embroidered draperies at the French doors, ‘rich’ wood parquet (the same as is seen in the Palace of Versailles, apparently) and a silk rug. If the adjoining Junior Suite is connected, the floor space covers 200 square metres (2,152 square ft)
Hotel Le K2 Palace Courchevel, Courchevel 1850 – Suite K3, from 8,810 euros (£7,650)
The design of Suite K3 ‘echoes the distant Himalayas with shimmering hues and sumptuous fabrics inspired by the beauty of natural materials’, says Hotel Le K2 Palace Courchevel. The suite covers three storeys and 300 square metres (3,229 sq ft), with the hotel adding that the price ‘includes a personal butler who will serve breakfast directly to Suite K3 each morning’
Le Meurice, Dorchester Collection, Paris – Belle Etoile Suite, from 25,000 euros (£21,700)
The Belle Etoile Suite ‘is quite simply beautiful’, gushes Le Meurice, which continues: ‘Every detail has been carefully chosen to create a breathtaking setting, combining modern touches with classical features. The incredible terrace with a 360-degree view of Paris is the only sightseeing you’ll need on a fine day – taking in all the iconic landmarks of the city. Together the suite and garden cover an impressive 620 square metres/6,674 sq ft, making it one of the most spacious suites in Paris’
Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris – Raffles Private Apartment, from 20,000 euros (£17,400)
Raffles Private Apartment is ‘the best private address’, declares Le Royal Monceau. It continues: ‘It’s wonderfully elegant and luxurious, yet understated and very welcoming. Built as a private residence, the Raffles Private Apartment is tucked inside an intimate enclave nestled in the heart of Paris’s most prestigious neighbourhood between the Parc Monceau and the Champs-Elysees. Combining ultimate comfort and attention to the smallest detail, this pied-a-terre includes three bedrooms and bathrooms, a private fitness room and two cosy living rooms’
Mandarin Oriental, Paris – the ‘Parisian Apartment’, from 26,000 euros (£22,650)
Mandarin Oriental bills the 430-square-metre (4,628 sq ft) Parisian Apartment as ‘among the largest and most spectacular suites in Paris’, revealing that it overlooks the hotel’s ‘lush’ inner garden and Rue Saint-Honore. There are four ‘elegant’ bedrooms and bathrooms, an ‘expansive’ reception area, a dining room and fully equipped kitchen. The furniture has been customed designed by Patrick Gilles of acclaimed French agency Gilles & Boissier
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome – Suite Presidentielle, from 15,000 euros (£13,000)
The Park Hyatt Paris Presidential Suite is, says the hotel, an ‘ultra-luxurious haven with two balconies that boast views of the Eiffel Tower, Vendome Column and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris’. There is a ‘stunning’ vestibule’, a ‘well-appointed’ kitchenette and a ‘spacious’ living room with two fireplaces. The two-storey suite also comes with a master bedroom that boasts an in-suite spa with a whirlpool, steam room, massage table and gym. The hotel concludes: ‘It’s an unbelievable home for a long stay’
Shangri-La Paris – La Suite Shangri-La, from 14,000 euros (£12,200)
La Suite Shangri-La boasts ‘unobstructed bird’s eye views of the stately Eiffel Tower’ thanks to its lofty position on the seventh floor of the hotel and a 14-metre-long (45m) panoramic window. The hotel adds: ‘The most iconic monument of the capital can be admired from anywhere in the suite or from its private terrace’
The Peninsula Paris, The Peninsula Suite – from 15,000 (£13,000) to 30,000 (£26,000) euros
The Peninsula Paris hotel says of its top suite: ‘The Peninsula Suite is a truly luxurious residence of 318 sq m (3,423 sq ft), it offers an immense reception room complete with grand piano, a vast dining room seating up to 10, an elegant office and a spacious bedroom complete with two large dressing rooms and two marble bathrooms. This spectacular and vastly spacious suite has the ability to adapt according to the number of its occupants. Ideally designed for two adults, each of whom has access to their own dedicated facilities and equipment, it also conveniently connects to two adjoining rooms to offer a large, shared haven of tranquility. Last but not least, everything has been designed to ensure the safety and privacy of our most prestigious guests’
Prices correct at time of going to press.
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