ADVISOR INSIGHT: Paris

Colombe McCarthy, director of the European division at Destinations & Adventures International in Beverly Hills, has endless insider tips about her native Paris. “I just went to Sola, a hot new restaurant that opened five months ago, and loved it—a great combination of Japanese and French techniques, and the young Japanese chef used to work at L’Astrance. Be sure to request downstairs when making your booking—a tatami room set in a beautiful vaulted cellar. Sola has great sake selections and they’re planning to open a sake bar too.”

McCarthy likes the Hotel Gabriel, a “contemporary, cocooning” hideaway known for its NightCove sleep machine that was developed by a French professor who specializes in sleep disorders. “It is not in Le Marais as the website indicates, but in a really trendy neighborhood near the Canal St. Martin. Apparently, the NightCove works so well that after three nights many guests want to buy it. The Hotel Gabriel sells the machine and ships it for guests [1400 euros].”

For clients looking for a day trip outside the city, McCarthy suggests the Chateau at Sceaux as an alternative to Versailles and Vaux Le Vicomte. “It’s accessible by RER train, has amazing gardens and a great art collection, and of course, is nowhere near the same crowds as Versailles.”