The best luxury stays in Paris

WALDORF ASTORIA VERSAILLES – TRIANON PALACE

Ooh-la-la factor

So many Grand Budapest Hotel vibes. Opened in 1910, this chocolate-box, neoclassical hotel has welcomed everyone from novelist Marcel Proust and US President Dwight D Eisenhower to Queen Elizabeth II. 

One of its rooms even saw former French Prime Minister Georges Clémenceau dictate the conditions of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Wes Anderson would love it.

First impressions

Corinthian columns! Mansard roofs! Vaulted ceilings! Its chequered, marble-floored hall runs almost the length of the building, sandwiched between two restaurants that face 800 hectares of public parkland and a terrace overlooking the hotel gardens. 

We sat in the latter, drinking €10 cups of coffee, feeling ‘this is how the global rich live’.

Bedding down

Our fourth-floor room had a fabulous oeil-de-boeuf (bull’s-eye) oval window. On our first evening we flung it open, uncorked the complimentary iced champagne and fell into a pair of armchairs to view the fading summer sky. 

Leaning out of it after a few glasses, we could see the roofscape of Versailles Palace, the gardens of which we’d explored all afternoon. 

The monochrome-tiled bathroom, stuffed full of Aesop products, provided suitable pre-dinner refreshment. That night we slept in an immense, silky-sheeted bed. The Sun King, Louis XIV, who made Versailles luxurious, would have approved.

Hungry?

If you like frog’s legs and venison, opt for Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred restaurant – five courses for €169, seven for €199, no sportswear allowed. We stuck to its neighbour, La Véranda brasserie, for some smooth gazpacho, flaky cod and a chocolate concoction. But the best was breakfast the following morning. 

The lightest of buttery croissants, an omelette folded into one perfectly fluffy comestible (impossible to replicate at home), plus creamy coffee and fresh grapefruit juice.

Out and about

You are in Versailles for one reason only – to view the opulence of the French court as lived large by Louis XIV and XVI. The Hall of Mirrors. The Empire Rooms. The Grand Apartments. The fountains. 

But Versailles is also an enchanting town, with a Saturday market, pretty cafés and curiosity shops. We hired bikes and cycled around, buying coffee from a grumpy local (‘Parlez-vous Anglais?’ ‘NON!’) and, randomly, a lamp and a ring from the more amenable owner of nearby La Maison de Camille.

Do not miss

The horses. We almost did, because no one really tells you about them. But they were the highlight of the trip. The Great Stables are housed in twin horseshoe-shaped buildings opposite the Palace gates. 

There seemed to be no one around as we joined a queue of two and were ushered in as latecomers to the best horse show I’ve ever seen (better than the Lipizzaners in Vienna). The all-female riders danced and sang while their steeds galloped, pranced and even rolled around the arena. 

It’s worth knowing that next year’s Olympic equestrian sports events will be held in Versailles.

We never did manage to see The Queen’s Hamlet built by Marie ‘Let them eat cake’ Antoinette so she could pretend to be a peasant. Next time.

• Rooms from around £270 a night, hilton.com

HÔTEL DAME DES ARTS

Ooh-la-la factor

One of Paris’s most alluring new hotels, Hôtel Dame des Arts enjoys a brilliant location in the 6th arrondissement (it took me just 20 minutes on the metro from Gare du Nord) and a sultry redesign that belies the fact it used to be a Holiday Inn.

Concealed doors glide open and a waft of the hotel’s signature scent, created by perfume pro Arthur Dupuy, tickles my nostrils

First impressions

Slick. Concealed doors glide open and a waft of the hotel’s signature scent, created by perfume pro Arthur Dupuy, tickles my nostrils. 

Interior designer Raphaël Navot has done a great job, with futuristic wood panelling and curved lines proving key themes in the hotel (take the gym, for example – the only one to make me say ‘phwoar’).

Bedding down

The hotel has a distinctly boutique-y vibe, but somehow there are 109 guest rooms packed within this building, ranging from the compact ‘classic’ room to a penthouse suite with private roof terrace. 

Many of the rooms have Eiffel Tower views which I gaze at over morning coffee on the balcony. My junior terrace suite also featured an enormous bath to soak in, sumptuous Diptyque toiletries and luxurious satin bedsheets.

Hungry?

While mousse au chocolat and French onion soup were on my mental menu, I didn’t plan to come to Paris to eat tortillas. However, the Mexican-inspired cuisine at Hôtel Dame des Arts is fantastic. 

Many of the rooms have Eiffel Tower views which I gaze at over morning coffee on the balcony

The hotel has a distinctly boutique-y vibe, but somehow there are 109 guest rooms packed within this building, ranging from the compact ‘classic’ room to a penthouse suite with private roof terrace

My husband and I were so full after corn chips with avocado dip, cauliflower with salsa and beef cheek tortillas that we assumed we couldn’t manage dessert. 

Then when churros and hazelnut sauce turned up, we realised we were wrong. As for cocktails, I love the signature Spritz des Dames – champagne but even more fun.

Out and about

The hotel boasts a fabulous location – a stylish saunter from the Seine and Notre Dame cathedral, which is emerging from its chrysalis of scaffolding. The Louvre and Pompidou Centre are close by too. 

When we ventured slightly further afield to the Promenade Plantée, Paris’s equivalent of the New York High Line, we were rewarded with a verdant walkway and stirring rooftop views.

Do not miss

The outstanding roof terrace, which is going to become Paris’s go-to place for apéritifs-with-a-view. While non-guests can try to bag a table, only hotel residents can reserve ahead.

• Rooms from around £280 a night, damedesarts.com

VAN GOGH’S APARTMENT

Ooh-la-la factor

Located in the heart of Montmartre, the hilly district offering some of the best views of the city, this Airbnb is exactly what the name says – Van Gogh’s apartment. 

The Dutch painter is believed to have lived in this quirky corner flat from 1886 until 1888, before he moved in with his brother Theo down the street. With a history rooted in art, the charming 18th arrondissement – or as our hosts call it, ‘little village’ – was once home to a long list of painters, including Picasso, Renoir and Monet.

Located in the heart of Montmartre, the hilly district offering some of the best views of the city, this Airbnb is exactly what the name says – Van Gogh’s apartment

First impressions

Kitsch, but you’d never know it from the outside. At street level, a less than exciting black door leads to a dimly lit staircase, but the fun starts inside the first-floor apartment. We’re greeted by a life-size, bright red Michelangelo’s David sculpture from Fendi that stands out against the period property’s wooden flooring, white panelling and crown moulding. 

Paintings, antique brass mirrors and Venetian masks cover the walls, dramatic Baccarat chandeliers dangle from the ceiling and maximalist pieces of art – including two Sicilian ceramic Testa di Moro vases and a gold Jeff Koons sculpture – are dotted around the room.

Bedding down 

We shared Van Gogh’s apartment with its two super-friendly hosts and owners. Our bedroom was furnished with the Dutch painter’s original double bed – one of the hosts’ parents snapped it up in an auction at Sotheby’s – built-in wardrobes, a chest of drawers and an armchair. 

At street level, a less than exciting black door leads to a dimly lit staircase, but the fun starts inside the first-floor apartment

The living room was decked out with a white leather sofa, dining table and a flatscreen TV. 

While the fluffy Zara Home towels certainly made up for the shared bathroom arrangement, the separate toilet (with pink toilet paper!) and shower did mean we didn’t bump into each other.

Hungry?

The kitchen is off-limits but luckily there’s no shortage of cute cafés, restaurants and bakeries in Montmartre. 

While the tartes sucrées at Les Petits Mitrons called out to me, we ultimately headed to patisserie La Bossue, where the sweet and savoury brunch buffet – think homemade mushroom swirls, cheese puffs, financiers and madeleines – has fans queuing before the doors even open. Best to book in advance.

However, I can never go to France without ordering tartare de bœuf et frites and Chez Bibiche ticked that one off my list. 

Just a stone’s throw from the apartment, the casual dining destination with outdoor seating serves reasonably priced wines and cocktails, and if you’ve got room for dessert, I’d recommend the profiteroles.

Out and about

There are the obvious landmarks – the Sacré-Cœur church is a five-minute walk up the hill, while the Moulin Rouge is a five-minute stroll in the opposite direction. But the best way to explore the area is by wandering around its cobbled streets. 

That’s how we stumbled across Foto Automat, one of the last original vintage analogue photo booths in Paris – tap your card (it’s €6), strike a few poses and wait four minutes for the black-and-white strip to develop. 

We also stopped by the famous La Maison Rose restaurant – I promise it’s the only Emily in Paris location we visited – and couldn’t resist popping into Montmartre’s fashion boutiques. Did I go home with a new pair of shoes? That would be telling.

Do not miss

The pretty little balcony that our room’s french doors opened out to. It’s so small, I almost didn’t realise it was there and had to step over a railing to get on to it (don’t worry, it’s allowed!). But it’s the perfect place to people-watch over the busy streets of Montmartre.

• From £236 a night, airbnb.com