Rates: from €1,100 to €9,000
Added extras: Two-starred Michelin restaurant, a library and a cigar lounge
Services: parking valet, spa, swimming pool, bar and breakfast
Located on Avenue Gabriel in the heart of the 8th arrondissement, this classic Haussmannian building is over hundred and fifty years old, with views onto the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais. La Réserve Hotel and Spa is the absolute height of luxury, yet remains in keeping with the strict tradition of Michel Reybier’s other La Réserve hotels in Geneva and Ramatuelle.
As is to be expected, the hotel's interior is a unique style of chic. Luxurious but never over-the-top, it certainly merits its status as a luxury hotel. The rooms feature dentilled cornices, carved frieze mouldings, fleur-de-lis tapestries, marble bathrooms and plenty of antiques. Master goldsmith Jacques Garcia’s touches give the place a serious private boudoir vibe.
At the restaurant's helm is Jérôme Banctel – formerly of the Hotel Crillon (among others) – who masterfully revisits classic French gastronomy. Expect privacy and isolation from other diners, as there is acres of space between each table.
Treat yourself to a visit to the spa, a serene health paradise with a 16-metre swimming pool, sublime bright red loungers, a sauna and massage room. The bar, the library and even the smoking room are havens of serenity. The bar is perfect for a casual conversation between lovers or friends and the classic or tailor-made cocktails are marvellous. The barman will even scribble down the recipe for you in case you ever return in the future. And if you can – you most definitely will.