Review of Le Bristol Paris

Situated on the city’s chic Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Le Bristol Paris stands proud at the historical heart of the city and next door to the Elysée Presidential Palace close to Place de le Concorde.

Also, close to the Champs-Élysées, Le Bristol Paris is perfectly placed for shopping, with nearby flagship boutiques of upscale brands including Hérmes and Louis Vuitton, haute couturiers and antique shops found just moments away.

The enchanting Tuileries Gardens with its fountains and flora is just a short stroll from the hotel as are the banks of the River Seine, the Louvre Museum, Musée D’Orsay and Opéra Garnier. Le Bristol Paris is some 15 minutes walking distance from the business district and La Défense.

The hotel is located 28 kilometres from Charles de Gaulle Airport and just a short car journey from the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord.

Arranged over eight floors, 90 rooms and 100 suites are spread evenly between the main building and the Matignon wing – which was unveiled in 2009.

Guests enter the elegant accommodation with a chunky signature key fobs to find rooms generous in size - comparable even to some Parisian apartments. Rooms range from the Superior Room at 40 square metres to the largest Prestige Rooms at 50 square metres.  Guests are offered views over the flower-filled inner courtyard or the graceful avenue below. Beds are large and comfortable and furnishings classic. Request a room overlooking the inner courtyard for total peace.

Bright white bathrooms are awash with marble and have sunken dual vanity sinks, sizeable soaking baths, and powerful rain showers. Hollywood lights are dotted around large mirrors. There are thick towelling robes & towels in every room and Bamford or Hermès toiletries.

Invoking decadence of an imperial age, The Imperial Suite is the height of luxury with its large dining area overlooking the gardens, room service dinners from Épicure to be enjoyed at an antique dining table with candelabra and furnishings by Parisian furniture specialist, Taillardat. This is a special occasion suite and is one of the most expensive in Paris.

The Paris Suite is one of the chicest, though the Penthouse is a favourite for fashion’s top brass attracting designers and style leaders every Paris Fashion Week.

Despite fanciful furnishings and Michelin star-studded restaurants, the welcome is warm and genuine at Le Bristol Paris. Service is certainly five-star but there is also plenty of humour and fun to be had with the characters on the hotel’s team, all intent on making guest stays memorable. Repeat visitors attest to this and include generations of families calling Le Bristol “their home from home in Paris” as a result.

The Spa offers indulgent treatments using high performance La Prairie products and there is a special treatment room dedicated to therapies using all-natural Tata Harper products.

A stunning indoor rooftop swimming pool on the 6th floor enjoys a nautical theme. Step outside to the patio where comfortable loungers enjoy a birds’ eye view over the neighbouring rooftops. The manicured roof gardens look out towards Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower.

Public spaces are accessible for guests with disabilities and the spa also has an accessible cabin. There are five bedrooms for guests with special needs.

Le Bristol Paris is delighted to accommodate pets, who like their owners, are given a very special five-star welcome. Just ask Socrate - the hotel's resident feline!

Younger members of the family are also heartily welcome and as well as interconnecting rooms, there is a Kid’s Club near the Spa, partnering with luxury children’s brand Bonpoint.

Quintessentially French in every way, Le Bristol is a sensational property filled with Versailles-style furniture. Capturing the elegance of Paris in years gone-by teamed with modern comforts, Le Bristol is grand but not grandiose. The building is also traditionally Parisian from the outside with creamy art deco white punctuated with pretty striped awnings and window boxes filled with hot red geraniums in bloom in the spring.

Enter the grand lobby to a welcome of polished marble, chandeliers, and fresh flower arrangements. A gorgeous patio terrace splits the hotel into two.

As well as the antique furniture, the hotel boasts art that previously was exhibited in the Louvre.

In bedrooms, sofas are plump with scatter cushions, mirrors and picture frames gilded and colour palettes are fresh with white and soft touches of blue and rose, wooden parquet floors with silken rugs, antique furniture, and floral drapes at large windows. Creamy carpets in bedrooms, floor to ceiling windows with ornate wrought iron balconies. Chic floral arrangements add to the finishing touches.

The garden is gracious with beautiful flowers like sweetly scented magnolias. The green is peppered with white wrought-iron tables and chairs complete with minty white sunshades.

With four Michelin stars and the esteemed title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsmen of France) Eric Frechon oversees the hotel’s restaurants and bars. 

Épicure is the jewel in the crown of Le Bristol and has held 3-Michelin stars for over a decade. This temple of gastronomy is so French and so chic. Gloriously serene, with floral drapes, marble floor and tables with starched linens and designer china, the experience of the tasting menu, once sampled, makes food memories that last for years. 

Le 114 Faubourg may be a slightly less formal dining option than Épicure but this luxe brasserie still has a Michelin star and a loyal clientele who make it their own Parisian dining room. They return for delicious French fare with a twist like the marinated beetroot with haddock and fromage frais. Huge dahlias painted on an orange background keep the décor cheerful and the sommelier has a wonderful wine list for pairings. 

Serene and sumptuously decorated, Café Antonia’s frescoed walls and crystal chandeliers create the perfect setting for all-day rendez-vous, where guests and visitors can enjoy casual and elegant refreshments any time of day. Pastry Chef Julien Alvarez’s delicate patisserie and Chef Eric Frechon’s finger sandwiches make the perfect accompaniment to specialty teas for afternoon tea. Breakfast is also served here. Like all palace hotel breakfasts, the offering at Le Bristol is quite special. On offer are traditional continental, American, Japanese, and of course healthy breakfasts. You can gorge on sumptuous eggs benedict or order Gojo-berry muesli with a perfectly prepared egg white omelette. A great start to the day. 

Set around a fireplace, Le Bar du Bristol Restaurant is the palace’s new dining room with deep cushioned sofas, intimate tables, and soft low light. It is ideal for haute couture cocktail creations and tapas as the bar becomes a restaurant in the evenings. Sublime menus by four Michelin starred Chef Eric Frechon help to keep conversations going into the night. Indeed, when darkness envelopes Paris, the bar is transformed into: Le Bar du Bristol & B.A.D - Bristol After Dark

Le Jardin Français is a rare jewel in the heart of Paris – an urban oasis and a relaxed space where guests can drink and dine al-fresco amid fresh greenery, trellises with trailing plants and fragrant roses at tables shaded with white parasols. Eric Frechon’s tapas is a must-try après cocktail hour when guests are invited to dine on King Crab rolls or crispy tempura shrimp. 

As a clever point of difference and just one of the details that sets Le Bristol apart - because Eric Frechon believes the humble loaf and home-made bread sets the tone for the whole dining experience, he installed a working flour mill at the Hotel. Le Bristol Paris the first hotel in city to produce its own flour, which means guests now enjoy extra freshly prepared du pain with every meal.

Green energy is an initiative Le Bristol Paris is embracing, in part by contracting a renewable energy supplier.

New and more efficient cold stores have also been installed to significantly reduce water and electricity consumption. 

All classic lightbulbs have been replaced by LEDs and the hotel has equipped its parking with charging stations for electric vehicles: Porsche, Tesla, BMW, and a universal charger.

Aquaclean technology is a revolutionary treatment that removes stains by using just water. It is an advanced protection for the furniture’s fabric. This treatment covers each fibre with an invisible molecular layer that prevents dirt from entering.

Minimising waste is high on the agenda and the hotel works with an external company on site to improve sorting and recycling. 

Le Bristol also takes part in Earth Hour, each year, where more than 1000 candles are lit to in the hotel's lobby and restaurants. The lights on the hotel façade are also switched off.

An insect hotel has been built in the garden, along with six rooftop beehives which produces Le Bristol’s very own delicious honey.

Cosmetic brand Tata Harper has taken over a treatment room in the spa, offering exclusive, 100% natural products from their own farm.

When staying at Le Bristol Paris, guests have the option of not changing their bed and bath linen daily. This action is part of a desire to protect the environment and enables significant savings in water and energy.

The Corporate Social Responsibility policies are managed by a dedicated Bee Green team, made up of 12 members representing all professions in the hotel.