Hôtel Le Bristol

Oh, Paris: your palace hotels are turning up the dial, each one-upping the other with refinements. And this grande dame? A delicate $130 million renovation in 2009 retained the 19th-century paintings and gilded ceilings dating back to 1925, but infused the space with a lighter, welcoming sensibility. Floor-to-ceiling windows give an airy feel to the new La Prairie spa, and the Michelin three-starred Epicure restaurant is completely redone, with romantic two-tops overlooking the leafy courtyard. A pair of new suites—with parquet floors, petite balconies, and Louis XVI–style furnishings—are reachable by an original wrought-iron elevator, which also leads to the Panoramic Suite (you’ll recognize the 1,700-square-foot space from Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris). In the cream-colored Matignon wing, a staircase is illuminated by a winding, seven-story light installation—perfectly suited for the City of Light.