1st Arrondissement Hotels

A few goop editors recently stayed at Hotel Nolinski, and we can’t believe this total gem stayed off our radar for so long. Just around the corner from the Jardin des Tuileries, the doorway is so inconspicuous you could sail down Avenue de l’Opera on your scooter (we did) a hundred times and miss it. That’s Nolinski’s charm.

Taking up a large swath of the iconic Rue de Rivoli and facing the Tuileries garden, Hotel Le Meurice is a lot like the palace at Versailles, minus the train ride. Francophiles, understandably, will love it. The hotel is so grand and so ornate, each room brimming with Louis XVI furnishings—the holy grail of silks, gold, brocade, and crystal. While the suites are otherworldly, the classic rooms really hold their own, outfitted with French linen sheets, fresh flowers, floor-to-ceiling marble bathrooms, and beautiful artwork. If you can tear yourself away from those bathrooms, the Valmont spa (no one does toning treatments quite like the French), Philippe Starck–designed restaurant Le Dalí, and Alain Ducasse's Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Meurice Alain Ducasse—helmed by chef Jocelyn Herland, are all at your disposal. Oh, and you know those stunning, even-more-beautiful-than-real-life fruit-shaped desserts you've been seeing all over your Instagram feed? They are the creation of pastry chef Cédric Grolet, who's set up his patisserie right here in the hotel.

A delight for the design lover, this recently reopened hotel is full of reverence to its Art Deco roots, with modern twists on traditional patterns and furniture. While the beautifully turned-out rooms are cozily petite, the central location right in the Marais and the buzzing, modern bistro-style restaurant downstairs make up for it.

After four years of renovations—the first closure in the hotel’s storied history—the Ritz Paris finally reopened. To everyone’s great relief, the renovation kept the old hotel’s charming, traditional style firmly intact (if a bit spruced up), down to the grand window treatments, gilded frames, and copious chandeliers. As ever, the rooms are exceptionally luxurious: Each is outfitted with a marble bathroom, generous windows, and famously soft sheets, with many boasting antique furnishings. The hotel is also home to three restaurants, two of which now have retractable glass ceilings on their patios: L’Espadon, for a traditional, white-tablecloth French dining experience, including breakfast and lunch; Bar Vendôme, a moody brasserie with red velvet booths; and the Ritz Bar, a more casual spot with shared plates and an Art Deco design palette. The hotel is home to a stunning fitness center—also available to private club members—where guests can swim laps in a gorgeous tiled pool or sign up for a day of pampering in the Chanel spa. Amid the bells and whistles, though, we’re probably most excited about the reopening of Bar Hemingway, the old author’s historic haunt that’s now famous for…

Being that it’s a Mandarin Oriental, you can be assured that this is one of Paris’ finest hotel options. A lush inner courtyard, Thierry Marx restaurants, and sleek, Asian-inspired rooms that are blessedly spacious for Paris are givens, but the Diptyque products and Frette robes make any stay even better. Plus, there’s a spa, pool, and sizable gym.