Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel – Paris Review
When it comes to Paris luxury hotels, opinions run hotter than an August métro. Everyone has their favorite, everyone insists theirs is the one. I’m not here to crown a winner. Taste in hotels, like wine, is personal. You may not drink much Napa cab, but you can still recognize Mayacamas as objectively excellent. Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, belongs to that league—objectively impressive, subjectively dependent on your style.
Location: Place de la Concorde Grandeur
Hôtel de Crillon sits on Place de la Concorde, arguably one of the most prestigious addresses in Paris. You’re steps from the Tuileries Garden, the Louvre, and Rue Saint-Honoré shopping. If location is your top filter, this hotel clears it with ease.
History Meets Modern Luxury
One of only 12 hotels in Paris awarded the official “Palace” designation, Hôtel de Crillon reopened in 2017 after a years-long restoration. Designers Aline Asmar d’Amman, Tristan Auer, Chahan Minassian, and Karl Lagerfeld (who created two of the signature suites) were brought in to breathe new life into the 18th-century property.
The renovation balanced historic grandeur with residential comfort—Rosewood’s ethos of “a sense of place.” Unlike other palatial hotels that can feel like gilded museums, the Crillon manages to feel like a very grand private home.
Arrival and Check-In
Forget the cattle-call front desk. At Hôtel de Crillon, check-in happens in a private salon, with drinks, fruit, and someone quietly handling paperwork. Our kids ate twelve mini-bananas in five minutes; the clerk collected the peels in a cloth napkin without batting an eye. That tone—gracious, unflappable, personal—set the stage for our stay.
Every guest has butler service. They walk you through the hotel, orient you to your room, and stay available (WhatsApp replies were near-instant). This is not “smile for the lobby selfie” luxury—it’s discreet, quietly efficient service.
Rooms & Suites
124 rooms and suites, all with butler service.
Residential styling: bespoke furnishings, curated artwork, Rivolta Carmignani linens, monogrammed pillows.
Bathrooms: generously sized (rare in Paris), heated floors, stocked with Drouault duvets and French bath amenities.
Specialty Suites: 10 total, with over-the-top details like sinks from Versailles and original 18th-century woodwork.
Karl Lagerfeld’s Grands Appartements: Arabescato Fantastico marble tubs, sweeping views of Place de la Concorde.
Note: some rooms pick up Métro Line 1 vibrations. If you’re a light sleeper, request floors 3–7.
Dining & Drinks
Jardin d’Hiver: breakfast and tea service. Famous for its hot chocolate, which is practically a full meal. Service is warm, though indoor seating is awkward if you’re tall. Outdoor seating is better.
Nonos by Paul Pairet: relaxed French grill, family-friendly, excellent steaks.
L’Écrin: one Michelin star, wine-first concept—choose your bottle, then the chef builds the menu around it. A destination in itself.
Bar Les Ambassadeurs: stunning setting, creative “board game” cocktail menu.
The only drawback: smoking in the internal courtyard, which is technically outdoors but noticeable.
Spa & Fitness
The Sense Spa includes treatment rooms, a hammam, infrared sauna, salt wall, barber, and David Lucas hair salon. The pool, normally shimmering with 17,600 golden scales, was closed during our stay, but is generally open and is stunning. Fitness facilities are compact but well-equipped.
Family Experience
Hôtel de Crillon is unusually kid-friendly for a Palace hotel. Welcome setup included a popcorn maker, fresh fruit, balloons, stuffed animals, and a hand-drawn sketch. Staff were attentive without being stiff—one even arranged a ride for my kids in the hotel’s 1973 Citroën DS Pallas before checkout. My children felt noticed, not tolerated. As a parent, that matters.
Final Impressions
Hôtel de Crillon achieves something rare: it’s palatial without being pompous. Service is personal, warm, and genuinely flexible. The setting radiates history, but you feel at ease sinking into velvet chairs in travel clothes. For families, couples, or solo travelers who want history and heart in equal measure, this is one of Paris’s most compelling luxury hotels.
Who This Hotel Is For
Travelers who want discreet Palace-level service (butler in every room, private salon check-in).
Families who need staff that say yes and treat kids like valued guests.
Culture lovers who want Louvre, Tuileries, and Rue Saint-Honoré at their doorstep.
Guests who prefer residential style over gold-leaf excess.
Travelers who want to dine Michelin-starred without leaving the building.
Who This Hotel Is Not For
Scene-chasers: If you want a buzzy lobby or late-night crowd, go to Ritz, Plaza Athénée, or Royal Monceau.
Design minimalists: Prefer glass, steel, and stark lines? Try Bulgari, Cheval Blanc, or Park Hyatt.
Points loyalists: Rosewood isn’t a major chain. If you want to burn or earn, Park Hyatt Vendôme is better.
Eiffel-Tower-from-bed hunters: Book Shangri-La or Plaza Athénée instead.
Night owls: Place de la Concorde isn’t nightlife central.
Left Bank die-hards: If you need Saint-Germain outside your door, try Hôtel Lutetia.
The Palace Hotel Context
France’s Palace designation is the highest official classification, above five stars. It recognizes hotels with exceptional history, service, architecture, cuisine, and wellness offerings. In Paris, there are currently 12 such properties—including Le Bristol, George V, Plaza Athénée, and Hôtel de Crillon. Notably, the Ritz Paris and Cheval Blanc skip the designation but remain world-class.
Verdict: Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel
If you want to experience Paris in a way that is both grand and intimate, Hôtel de Crillon is hard to beat. It balances old-world gravitas with service that feels surprisingly human. In a city crowded with legends, it holds its own—quietly, confidently, and beautifully.
