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The Best Hotels in Paris in 2016

The Best Hotels in Paris in 2016

By Lindsey Olander

July 06, 2016

Courtesy of La Réserve

Some of the world’s most handsome and distinguished hotels — intimate pied-à-terres, palatial grande dames — are found in Paris. And this year, classic institutions proved that they are as alluring as they were in their younger years, especially after having undergone recent face-lifts.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. In the hotels category, readers rated properties on their rooms/facilities, location, service, food and drink, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their location.

The venerable Ritz, the famous former home of Coco Chanel and this year’s buzziest reopening, debuted updated guest rooms and a retractable roof above the winter garden for year-round lounging. “The standard in Paris, even before the renovations,” one reader said.

The 91-year-old Le Bristol, known for its Louis XVI furniture and toile everywhere, was spruced up to the tune of $130 million and now stuns guests with floor-to-ceiling window views of the Eiffel Tower and a spa double its original size. It took second place in the category this year.

Little introduction is needed for the landmark Four Seasons Hotel George V, whose heavenly spa, Michelin-three-starred restaurant Le Cinq, and terraces overlooking Paris have enticed travelers since it opened in 1928.

But this year’s top property is all about contemporary Paris: La Réserve, an urban oasis behind the Champs-Élysées. Readers were charmed by its intimate spa, spectacular service (“the most personal we have ever encountered,” according to a reader), and sleek, symmetrical design — a vision of Parisian elegance.

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No. 10: Hôtel Plaza Athénée

Credit: Courtesy of Hôtel Plaza Athénée

Score: 90.51

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No. 9: Mandarin Oriental, Paris

Credit: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental

Score: 90.52

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No. 8: Hôtel Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Credit: Courtesy of Hôtel Prince de Galles

Score: 90.95

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No. 7: Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet's Paris

Credit: Courtesy of Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet's

Score: 91.53

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No. 6: The Peninsula Paris

Credit: Matthieu Salvaing

Score: 92.15

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No. 5: The Ritz, Paris

Credit: Courtesy of the Ritz

Score: 92.25

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No. 4: Shangri La Hotel, Paris

Credit: Courtesy of Shangri-La

Score: 92.8

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No. 3: Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris

Credit: Courtesy of Four Seasons

Score: 93.12

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No. 2: Le Bristol

Credit: Courtesy of Le Bristol

Score: 95.06

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No. 1: La Réserve Paris Hotel, Spa & Apartments

Credit: Courtesy of La Réserve

Score: 95.29

Those seeking an intimate Parisian experience look no further than La Réserve, which opened just last year. Behind a line of trees near the Champs-Elysées, this hushed urban retreat is everything you’d want in your stay in the City of Light. The 26 suites and 14 rooms in the 1854 Haussmann-style mansion are airy and polished, with silk-damask-clad walls, oak wardrobes, and, everywhere, a modern palette of white, ebony, slate, and rosewood. There’s a smoking room, an in-house perfumery, and a candlelit spa. “If only I could live as well at home as at La Réserve,” one reader lamented.

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