Dubbed the City of Light (la Ville Lumière) and Capital of Fashion, it is home to some of the world’s finest and most luxurious fashion designers and cosmetics, such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L’Oréal, and Clarins. A large part of the city, including the banks of the Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world (after Tokyo, which is much larger) and contains numerous iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Louvre, the Moulin Rouge and the Basilique du Sacré Cœur, making it one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world, with around 14 million tourists annually.
The main international airport serving Paris is
► CDG Charles de Gaulle
For many low-cost carriers and short-haul flights
► ORY Orly
Private flights are best sent to
► LBG Le Bourget
8th Arr. (Champs-Élysées/Madeleine)
Size: 40 rooms and suites
Style: Elegant & Contemporary
Year Opened: 2015
Designer/Architect: Jacques Garcia
The City of Light sparkles a little brighter at La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa. Minutes from the Grand Palais and the Champs-Élysées, this 19th-century urban mansion is the very essence of French refinement. The hotel provides a private-club atmosphere – only guests may access the library, smoking lounge, pool, and fitness center. Accommodations feature silk walls, velvet drapes, and brocade taffeta. Expect ultrapersonalized service, including tailored experiences that reveal exclusive sides of Paris. Gastronomic offerings surprise and delight at the two-Michelin-starred Le Gabriel, winner of Virtuoso’s 2019 Best Dining Experience.
2023 #31
8th Arr. (Champs-Élysées/Madeleine)
Size: 189 rooms and suites
Style: Traditional Elegance & Lively
Year Opened: 1923
Most Recent Renovation/Update: 2016
Architect / Designer: George Condo / Pierre‑Yves Rochon
An icon of French elegance and art de vivre, Le Bristol Paris is located at one of the city’s most prestigious addresses on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The first to receive France’s “Palace” distinction, the hotel boasts 190 rooms and suites— among the largest in Paris — that are now completely renovated. An exceptional setting offering Oetker Collection’s legendary hospitality, Le Bristol is perhaps best known for its outstanding dining tradition, holding 4 Michelin stars between Epicure and 114 Faubourg. A spirit of joie de vivre permeates the hotel from early morning to after midnight with relaxation in the lush, 13,000 square food court.
2024 #40
2023 #29
CONDE-NAST TRAVELER GOLD LIST: 2025
8th Arr. (Champs-Élysées/Madeleine)
Size: 11 rooms and suites
Style: Contemporary Classic & Quiet
Nestled on the edge of the prestigious Golden Triangle, this early 20th century private mansion offers guests one of the very best central city locations on a discreet residential street adjacent to the world renowned avenue Montaigne.
In addition to the physical comforts you’ll have round-the-clock butler service, not to mention the run of the rest of the house; the common spaces are even more ornate and atmospheric than the accommodations. And despite its small size, the Villeroy has a full-service spa. The restaurant and bar are no less impressive than anything else about the hotel — Trente-Trois has earned one MICHELIN Star, while the Bar Jean Goujon retains the gold leaf molding of the original mansion, and possesses an unparalleled selection of Japanese whiskies.
8th Arr. (Champs-Élysées/Madeleine)
Size: 149 rooms and suites
Style: Modern Design & Happening
Year Opened: 1928
Most Recent Renovation/Update: 2010
Designer/Architect: Philippe Starck
Just steps from the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris expresses Parisian elegance. With a 99-seat screening room, a private art gallery, and Paris’ first dedicated Art Concierge, this palace is full of art and culture. Relax in one of 149 elegant rooms and luxurious suites or at the contemporary spa, My Blend by Clarins with a 75-foot-long pool. Enjoy the stylish Le Bar Long; Matsuhisa Paris by world-renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa; La Cuisine and its unforgettable brunches and buffet breakfasts; and Il Carpaccio, a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant; as well as pastry creations by Quentin Lechat.
CONDE-NAST TRAVELER GOLD LIST: 2025
1st Arr. (Musée du Louvre/Les Halles)
Size: 72 rooms and suites
Style: Modern Design & Lively
Year Opened: 2022
Designer/Architect: Peter Marino
Bringing a contemporary edge to a historic art deco building, Cheval Blanc Paris will be an exciting new address in the heart of Paris. Sitting at the edge of the Seine, near the Louvre and Notre-Dame, the Maison captures the spirit of the borough – and shows off the Seine through panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests are met with gracious service and thoughtful amenities. Each of the Maison’s 72 rooms and suites will welcome guests with a residential atmosphere and exceptional views of the city. Four restaurants will include a fine-dining eatery and French brasserie, as well as an all-day dining venue in the lobby.
2024 #4
2023 #23
14e Arrondissement
Bedrooms: 4
Maximum Occupants: 10
Nestled in the 14th arrondissement, this artistically decorated villa creates the perfect city break oasis, equipped with its very own private Japanese garden. The location of this villa offers a fantastic slice of true Parisian culture, whilst still ensuring you are very well connected; it is only half an hour or so to Paris’ main sights. The private garden ensures a quiet and green space within the city to either have a BBQ or simply relax and enjoy some privacy. The house itself has been decorated to the highest standard, with white couches and glass panels. The interior also boasts a distinctive artistic flair, as its owners have placed beautiful art pieces throughout.
Chef: Bertrand Grébaut
11th arrondissement
Septime is a super-cool restaurant on an ultra-cool street run by cool people and frequented by cool customers. The food is dictated by the seasons and served without pretention.
2025 #40
2024 #11
2023 #24
2022 #22
GO TO ► Septime website
GO TO ► Septime Michelin review
Chef: Arnaud Donckele
Cheval Planc Paris
The revamped Samaritaine department store is home to the luxurious Cheval Blanc Hotel, within whose walls lies this restaurant, the haunt of low-profile chef, Arnaud Donckele, who has three stars to his name at La Vague d’Or in St Tropez. Wholly committed, he pops in and out of the kitchen to share his passion with diners. His new spin on classical cuisine takes you on a voyage between Normandy, his place of birth, and the Mediterranean, his home of adoption and the Paris region… It is impossible not to be bowled over by his work, from its delicacy and generosity to the exceptional quality of the ingredients. This virtuoso sauce maker, who can be compared with a perfume “nose” or an oenologist, lavishes phenomenal care and attention over his jus, dressings and sauces which should be tasted first to better appreciate the complex aromatic universe of each dish. When it comes to the sweet course, he can count on Maxime Frédéric, previously of the George V, to take the desserts to a whole new dimension. The absolute pinnacle of fine dining.
2025 #14
2024 #18
2023 #36
GO TO ► Plénitude website
GO TO ► Plénitude Michelin review
Chef: Pierre Touitou
near the Louvre
Tucked away on rue Saint-Roch in Paris’s 1st arrondissement is chef Pierre Touitou’s latest and most personal project. It’s distinctly French, yet far from your average bistro fare. This is a sleek restaurant from a forward-thinking young chef with all the classic training (under such chefs as Alain Ducasse) but also one who is well-traveled and constantly in dialogue with his peers around the world. Touitou seems eager to push the boundaries of what French food can be. The menu bears influence from the chef’s trips to places like Japan and also his Mediterranean heritage: On my visit, there were ingredients like yuzu koshō, miso, and dashi, but also plenty of butter, sabayon (that sweet, foamy egg-white sauce), and seasonal French produce. The menu changes daily; it has included the likes of rich endive tarte topped with frisée lettuce and a truffle vinaigrette; braised beef with savoy cabbage, candied oranges, and almonds; and an iconic île flottante with smoked pepper and sesame praline for dessert. Don’t miss the wine list, which is filled with natural offerings that will satisfy the more adventurous while also pleasing those with a conventional palate.
—Kyle Beechey
CONDE-NAST TRAVELER BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN THE WORLD: 2025
GO TO ► 19 Saint Roch website
GO TO ► 19 Saint Roch Michelin review
With its 2025 edition, Art Basel Paris comes of age
In this candid interview, Director Clément Delépine reflects on how, after three years of constant adaptation, the fair is now fully settled in the Grand Palais, poised between tradition and the avant-garde
5 Avenue Marceau, 75116 Paris, France
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum opened in October 2017 the same building where the legendary fashion designer created his haute couture collections for nearly 30 years.
► Yves Saint Laurent Museum Website
For those who want to enjoy l’exaltation, or avoid l’agitation of Fashion Week, here is the schedule for 2025 to 2028.
Menswear: Tuesday, January 20 to Sunday, January 25 2026
Womenswear: Monday, September 29 to Tuesday, October 2025
Haute Couture: Monday, January 26 to Thursday, January 29 2026
Menswear: Tuesday, January 20 to Sunday, January 25 2026
Womenswear: Monday, March 2 to Tuesday, March 10 2026
Haute Couture: Monday, July 6 to Thursday, July 9 2026
Menswear: Tuesday, June 23 to Sunday, June 28 2026
Womenswear: Monday, September 28 to Tuesday, October 6 2026
Haute Couture: Monday, January 25 to Thursday, January 28 2027
Menswear: Tuesday, January 19 to Sunday, January 24 2027
Womenswear: Monday, March 1 to Tuesday, March 9 2027
Haute Couture: Monday, July 5 to Thursday, July 8 2027
Menswear: Tuesday, June 22 to Sunday, June 27 2027
Womenswear: Monday, September 27 to Tuesday, October 5 2027
► Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode
Paris Travel Guide
This perennial champ, having had its thunder taken by cities like London and Tokyo, now is back with a vengeance with a crop of pilgrimage-worthy restaurants, top-to-bottom overhauls of the world’s most iconic hotels, and the elevation of the concept store. And you still can’t turn a corner without running into a Rodin.
Paris Travel Guide
To make sure you don’t miss a thing, take a moment to read through our Paris travel guide, where we share our favorite local haunts, must-do activities, and favorite hotels.
► VIRTUOSO: Paris Information Page
Here is a good place to start for some additional information on quality Hotels, Water Adventures and Activities.
► WIKIVOYAGE: Paris Page
A great resource for all the basic information you need for Paris.
► SimOptions – Orange Holiday Europe
Orange Holiday Europe eSim is one of the best options for European travellers with coverage in 30 EU countries.
► Hippocket WiFi
My favorite Pocket WiFi service in Europe.
France General Information
with Visa & Entry Requirements
Where to stay in Southern France
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page updated: September 2025
images courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, Paris Tourism Board
Please Note: All Hotel / Resort / Cruise / Services Amenities are subject to availability and may have changed since the date of this being originally published.
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