Hôtel Plaza Athénée

The sense of arrival at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée is theatrical. There is the location, of course, on the stately Avenue Montaigne, and the signature red awnings of the facade. This is a hotel with deep ties to the fashion world, from the days Christian Dior would name his collections after the hotel to the romance between Marlene Dietrich and Jean Gabin that played out within its walls. To this date, the hotel is one of the most visually dazzling in The City of Light, from the grand décor of the lobby with its polished marble floors and chandeliers to the sometimes French sometimes Art Deco style of the 154 rooms and suites. The furnishings ooze elegance with silk-covered armchairs and cushy beds while the signature suites are all drama with vivid colors and unique features like terraces, pianos or exclusive wine cellars. On the gastronomic front, the hotel is home to alfresco La Cour Jardin, arranged around the hotel’s inner courtyard and surrounded on all sides by curtains of greenery, and La Terrasse Montaigne, which runs along a facade of the hotel. Inside La Galerie is the perfect venue for breakfast or a light lunch to harp music and Le Relais Plaza is the hotel’s more upscale dining venue with an old-school, gold-hued decor. For a different kind of downtime,there is the Dior Institut au Plaza Athénée…the hotel’s spa with 5 treatment rooms and a fitness studio.