Atout France, the French Tourism Development Agency, has newly awarded two luxury hotels in Paris the “palace” distinction. Along with the Shangri-La Paris, the Mandarin Oriental has nabbed the coveted title. Created in November 2010, the “palace hotel” category is reserved for the exceptional ultra-luxury hotels that are in a class all their own (a step higher than five stars). There are currently 16 hotels in France with the title including Le Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, Le Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez, and the Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat.
There are eight palace hotels in Paris alone. The Mandarin Oriental is the youngest of the bunch, having opened in June 2011 on rue Saint-Honoré in the very heart of the city. To celebrate its achievement, the hotel has created an exclusive “Palace” cocktail at Bar 8—mixed with Champagne Bollinger rosé, vodka with gold glitter, rose petal confiture, and lime. Available for a limited time for 26 euros. For more information, visit www.mandarinoriental.com
