best bed: Le Royal Monceau, Paris, France

 

Exceptional luxury is what I expected at Le Royal Monceau. After all it has been chosen as one of only 25 hotels the French Government has given the distinction of Palace. Five stars on steroids, the best of the best as only the French can do it. What I didn’t expect was the unconventional-ness of their particular luxury…quirky avant-garde combined with exceptional pretty-much-everything. All this extraordinariousness is just the latest chapter of a fascinating history. When Le Royal Monceau originally opened in 1928 there was no trace left of the retirement home for an order of nuns who had once lived at this address except the garden. Josephine Baker and Hemmingway drank in the bar. Walt Disney, Madonna, Coco Chanel and Ray Charles were among the long line of artists who have stayed. Ho Chi Minh lived here while trying to negotiate independence from France; David Ben Gourion & Golda Meir signed the papers establishing the State of Israel in one of its salons in May 1948. In 2008 the new owners closed the hotel for two years and gave famed designer Philippe Starck an unlimited budget and carte blanche to make magic. Starck succeeded; elements of 20’s glamour, mod-cons, quirky details and top notch comfort combine to create perfection. Even the smallest rooms have huge bathrooms. Breakfast is to die for… make sure to sample as many Pierre Herme pastries as possible, they are worth every calorie.

Number of Rooms: 149

Sweet Suite: There are 3 different giant presidential suites and there is the beyond luxurious Royal Monceau Suite, but for me… it has to be the Penthouse Suite on the very top floor. I was completely enchanted by the sloping ceilings, flooding natural light and endless views over the rooftops of Paris. The height of Romance.

Favorite thing: The Art Concierge… seriously!! Julie Eugene’s full time job is making sure guests experience art & culture in a unique way. She can be found  giving a tour of  the hotel’s fabulous in-house collection, arranging visits to artist’s studios, galleries and private collections or getting tickets to the hottest exhibitions. She got me VIP passes to Paris Photo, the largest international art fair dedicated to photography.

Near By: Le Royal Monceau has a Michelin starred restaurant, a private cinema, the top rated Clarins Spa, its own art collection and a great bookstore. It’s hard to leave… but if you do the Arc de Triomphe is steps away. Not much further is  the Musee Jacquemart Andre,  the Musee Nissim de Camondo, the Champs-Elysees  and the Parc Monceau…my favorite anywhere! When I when a few lotteries I plan to buy one of the 6 private houses with 24 access to the park… a girl can dream.

Amenities: Michelin starred Italian restaurant, 2 additional restaurants, jacuzzi, spa, gym, pool, complementary newspaper, Little Royals children’s program, in house cinema, art collection, book shop, private cigar lounge, room service

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https://www.leroyalmonceau.com/en/