Paris may seem to have more tourists than ever, and there are: The city helped fuel France’s record-setting 102 million visitors last year. But there are pockets of Parisian exclusivity that can feel like your own tucked-away oasis from all the City of Light revelry.
Enter: the Palace, an official French government rating delivered to 30 distinct hotels across the country excelling in architecture, history, and service that make 5 stars seem like not enough.
Of the 12 Palace hotels in Paris, Shangri-La Paris has been on my radar thanks to its history (the property was formerly home to Prince Roland Bonaparte’s mansion), raved-about culinary scene, and much-ballyhooed views of the Eiffel Tower. While my stay coincided with a winter conference, the picture-perfect views and exemplary service are why we say Shangri-La Paris is the ideal place to book for a Summer in Paris — or any time of year, really.
Stepping through the doors at Avenue d’Iéna, the Prince Bonaparte legacy is felt without being forced upon you. The 1896 mansion — meticulously preserved through a restoration that honored the original gilded moldings, hand-painted frescoes, Napoleonic heraldry, and sweeping marble staircases — manages to feel both museum-caliber and livable. The building’s scale and decorative accents are aristocratic in the way that only 19th-century Parisian private residences tend to be (a hint of bergamot scenting the elevators, winking lights dotting the marble lobby, to name a few), and the hotel has wisely resisted any impulse to crowd it.
The Eiffel Tower Room views, though, delivered on every piece of advance hype. The Iron Lady (in Tower not Thatcher form) fills the frame in a way that elicits the kind of glee seen during Carrie Bradshaw’s meme-inspiring arrival to her suite at the Plaza Athénée — no offense, but the Shangri-La’s view is closer to the action.
The marble-clad bathroom features a walk-in shower, a deep-soaking bathtub positioned for maximum procrastination, and Guerlain toiletries. The Shangri-La signature bed handled the rest (and was my favorite location for kicking back to take in the evening light show of the Eiffel Tower). The nightly show, visible from the French windows, is why guests religiously return to Shangri-La Paris (and also why I was fielding numerous social media messages asking for details on what exactly they should be booking).
The Eiffel Tower Room was perfect for my weekend getaway, but those looking for the ultimate splurge with a view should consider the Duplex Terrace Eiffel View Suite for more living area and outdoor space. La Suite Shangri-La affords guests sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower and Paris, a functioning kitchenette, outdoor terrace, and the option to expand and be privatized into a 4-bedroom top-floor suite. Those looking for a more historic feel to their stay can book L’Appartement Prince Bonaparte, Bonaparte’s original private residence that has been maintained in its original Directoire style and holds French Monument Historique status. This two-bedroom suite is as much about design bragging rights as it is for sleeping like royalty.
Mornings at La Bauhinia — the hotel’s bright, garden-facing all-day dining room — set the hotel’s dining tone. The East-meets-West breakfast program, a Shangri-La offering globally, operates here with real conviction. My husband enjoyed the Asian side of the equation: congee, dim sum, the works. I started my journey in western territory: eggs à la Française and pastries. The French toast, however, became a joint diplomatic initiative. Its reputation had preceded it on the luxury travel circuit (courtesy of multiple travel advisors telling me this was a menu must-indulge). The verdict: crispy at the edges, custardy in the center, rich in the way that I felt inspired to walk the city instead of overly stuffed and in need of a nap. We ordered a second one the following morning.
Lunch at Shang Palace — the first Chinese restaurant in France to earn a Michelin star and dressed in lacquered furniture and jewel-toned interiors that nod toward Hong Kong-style dining rooms — is as close to mandatory as hotel dining recommendations get. While you can enjoy à la carte dining, arrive hungry (i.e. maybe skip La Bauhinia’s French toast the day of your Shang Palace visit) and go with one of the tasting menu paths to enjoy a mix of dim sum, roasted duck, and decadent steamed buns with egg custard. The pacing produces the kind of extended lunch where afternoon plans gradually fade away. Ours dissolved before the last plate arrived, and we instead strolled alongside the Seine afterward while debating favorite courses.
Le Bar Botaniste earns its place in the itinerary for different reasons. The hotel’s bar tucked off the lobby brings a botanical backdrop to a menu offering a mix of classic, house special (they had me at a chili-infused Tanqueray in the Secret Pavilion), and premium (using high-end ingredients like 15-year aged whiskeys and prices starting at $52). Whether you’re decompressing after a day of shopping-til-you-dropped-too-much-plastic on Avenue Montaigne or pacing yourself for a longer evening in the 16th, this is the right room in which to land.
No matter where you decide to stay, service at Shangri-La is stellar without being stuffy (no matter what early conclusions you might make off the historic design). While we weren’t delivering any extraordinary tasks to the team like “Fetch me a Birkin,” Team Shangri-La was more than accommodating to changing lunch times at Shang Palace, squeezing us in for a hard-to-get table for cocktails, and arranging timely airport transportation amid the Sunday rush of travelers venturing home from a weekend of shopping in Paris.
Shangri-La Paris gets its place in the Parisian hotel hierarchy: a Palace property with the architecture, the lineage, the views, and the culinary star power to sustain the designation.
Paris has no shortage of places to stay. But it has significantly fewer that manage this degree of panache without feeling performative. “The Hills” fans may still admonish Lauren for always being known as the girl who didn’t go to Paris.
Had she known Shangri-La Paris was an option, maybe she would have made a different choice.
Editor’s Note: Since our stay, Shangri-La Paris has substantially expanded its culinary footprint. Les Salons du Prince — a new restaurant set within the hotel’s historic salon near the lobby — now serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks in a setting of wood paneling, tapestries, period paintings, and golden chandeliers that commit fully to Belle Époque grandeur. The menu draws on classic French gastronomy with a contemporary sensibility, anchored by caviars from La Maison Nordique and a Champagne program exclusively signed by Pol Roger. Dinner service resumes in the fall; breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks are available through the summer.
The hotel has also opened Maison Roland, a garden restaurant honoring Prince Roland Bonaparte with a relaxed bistro sensibility set in the hotel’s private grounds. The menu is an affectionate survey of French classics — sole grenobloise, beef tartare, lobster Thermidor — served across a sun-drenched terrace.
For those inclined to extend the experience across the Channel: Shangri-La has launched a dual-city package pairing the Paris property with Shangri-La The Shard, London, making the case that luxury hospitality and the Eurostar are not mutually exclusive.
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