Fodor's Expert Review Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris
37 av. Hoche, 8e, Paris, 75008, France See on Map Fodor's Choice
The glamorous Royal Monceau Raffles offers a luxuriously artsy vibe along with a hefty dose of cool. The Philippe Starck decor aims for a cosmopolitan look, mixing contemporary artworks with burnished-wood finishes, glittering chandeliers, and mirrors galore. Anticipating your every need is the hotel's credo, as evidenced by its Michelin-starred restaurant, private cinema, upscale bookstore and art gallery, cigar bar, L'Eclaireur concept store, and one of the city's larger hotel pools.
YOU SHOULD KNOW This is a palace hotel down to the finest details, with prices to match. So if budget is an issue consider carefully.
room
Impeccable design creds extend to the hotel's sophisticated rooms and suites, all flooded with light and filled with streamlined furnishings, rock 'n' roll accents (acoustic guitars, high-tech sound systems), and cheeky artworks, along with everything you'd expect from a palace—walk-in closets, bespoke furnishings, and luxury bedding. The Presidential suites next door are your own private Paris apartment, with the hotel's luxury services thrown in.
Le Petit Royal program for children offers fun activities, like cooking classes and guided tours, plus special menus and toiletries by Bonpoint, Paris's kids' couture house.
bathroom
Huge, sparkling bathrooms reflect your gorgeous self in every surface, whether polished marble or gleaming chrome. Every room has either a claw foot tub and/or a walk-in rain shower, with Clarins products just like those in the spa.
lobby
Starck's luxuriously louche ethos extends to the lobby areas, offering plenty of shaded nooks and cozy corners for lounging alone, with a lover or your entire chic entourage.
pool
Large and skylit, with plenty of comfy lounge chairs, this is one not-to-miss feature of the hotel.
YOU SHOULD KNOW The pool is open for children from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
spa
The super-luxe My Blend Clarins spa specializes in a customized skincare regimen that you can continue at home. Every imaginable treatment, plus a couples' room, steam room, sauna, and laconium.
gym
A small fitness room nevertheless offers state-of-the-art machines and excellent personal trainers.
dining
Matsuhisa restaurant, by the globetrotting chef behind the international Nobu chain, highlights a contemporary gastro-Japanese cuisine, and the one Michelin-star Il Carpaccio gets consistently rave reviews. Desserts are by pastry rockstar Pierre Hermé. Breakfasts are particularly excellent.
drinking
The Long Bar draws a sophisticated local clientele, heavy on businessmen and international fashionistas, for ambrosial cocktails and gourmet tapas. Regulars can join Club Vinales, a wood-panelled, art-bedecked private club reserved for members and cigar-smoking guests, as patrons get their own humidor.
shopping
Art lovers be prepared to be wowed at the hotel's excellent bookstore, with limited-edition art books, artworks, and tchotchkes and the art gallery, with revolving exhibitions. For fashion, Le Royal Eclaireur, a branch of one of Paris's best concept stores, is dangerously within reach.
LOCATION
Getting Around
Five-minute walk to the Étoile metro and RER, serving line no. 1, Paris's central line. In view of the Arc de Triomphe and a five-minute walk from the Champs-Élysées, this is an upscale neighborhood but not devoid of cafés, shops and nightlife. On the other side of the Avenue, the beautiful Parc Monceau is a great place for a stroll.
Restaurants
Le Drugstore Restaurant at Publicis Drugstore (6-minute walk)--a cinema, boutique, and restaurants rolled into one (with a menu designed by Eric Fréchon) and it's a chic and lively spot for day or evening. If it's elegant you want, you're in the right area--Paris gastro-star Pierre Gagnaire is a five-minute walk away, as are the elegant Michelin-starred restaurants at the Four Seasons Georges V and La Scène at Hotel Prince des Galles.
WHY WE LIKE IT
Though sophisticated as all get out, there's a relaxed almost Bohemian feel to this hotel, that makes it just right for a more unbuttoned luxe experience.
QUICK FACTS
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