Historic Hotels in Paris – Famous Hotels in Paris with a Rich Past within their Walls

Famous Hotels in Paris

Paris is a city full of rich history and culture, and while many people come to Paris to visit the numerous museums and stunning old buildings, it is also possible to get even closer to this history by staying in one of the historic hotels in Paris – famous hotels in Paris with a rich past within their walls.

These historic Paris hotels are some of the city’s finest hotels, with some of these 5-star hotels in Paris being awarded the prestigious “Palace” hotel status.

If you’re interested in staying in one of these famous Paris hotels, then you’ll find this guide useful. In this guide, I will show you some of the most iconic hotels in Paris, all with fascinating histories, and where some of the most influential people in Europe’s history once stayed.

Compare the Best Historic Hotels in Paris

Table of Contents:

• Palace-Hotel Status in France
• Palace Hotels in Paris
• 5-star Historic Hotels in Paris  

Read More

Palace Hotel Status in France

If you’re the sort of traveler who enjoys staying in the most luxurious hotels around the world, you will love staying in one of the Palace Hotels in Paris.

In France, the tourist authorities have officially established the distinction of “Palace Hotels” to identify, among the luxury hotels, the exceptional establishments.

Palace is a superior classification exclusively awarded to five-star historic hotels in France that offer the highest level of service to their customers. Some criteria for obtaining the label “Palace” are the hotel’s geographical location, historical interest, aesthetic and /or particular heritage, the quality of their bars, restaurants (most of them Michelin-starred restaurants), and cellars.

To date, only a very few hotels hold the prestigious palace rating, being half of these hotels located in Paris.

Hotels with the “Palace” distinction are the very finest 5-star historic hotels in Paris and represent the very best in French standards of excellence. Below is the list of the seven Palace Hotels in Paris.

Palace Hotels in Paris

The Peninsula Paris

Located on Avenue Kleber, just 400 meters from the Arc de Triomphe, The Peninsula Paris is one of the best hotels in Paris with Eiffel Tower view. 

Originally the Palace of Castille, this Palace Hotel in Paris was opened in 1908 and quickly became a hotel frequented by the members of the Parisian high society. 

However, during WW1, the hotel briefly became a temporary hospital and was reopened as a hotel in 1916. During this time, several famous people were spotted here, including Marcel Proust, Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, and Serge Diaghilev.

In 1936, the building became State property and was converted into a government building. During the period 1946-1958, it was even home to the UNESCO headquarters.  However, since 2007, the building once again operated as a first-class hotel, and in 2016, it was given its Palace status.

The hotel has 200 guest rooms and suites lavishly decorated with dark polished wood furniture and crisp cream and grey fabrics. The bathroom is spacious, with marble floors, a black marble bathtub, and an integrated TV.

This Palace Hotel in Paris offers first-class facilities. Here, you will find the longest hotel pool in Paris, a large fitness center (with the option of personal trainers), a day spa, sauna, steam room, bar, rooftop restaurant (offering panoramic views across the Paris skyline) – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 19 Avenue Kléber, 75116 Paris.

Hotel Raphael

Hotel Raphael is another of the great historic hotels in Paris offering a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. It is located just a few minutes walk from Champs Elysées and Arc de Triomphe.

This Palace Hotel in Paris was built during the Roaring Twenties on the grounds of a private mansion alongside a greyhound racecourse. It was named after the painter Raphael.

This famous hotel in Paris combines to perfection the past Parisian glamour with a fresh twist. All the rooms and suites are uniquely decorated in Louis XV and Louis XVI style, while the public areas feature wood furnishings, elaborate wall hangings, and an exceptional collection of antiques built up by the owners over the last 100 years.

Hotel Raphael’s guests have access to great facilities like a fitness center, a sophisticated restaurant serving gourmet French cuisine, and great views of Paris from its beautiful rooftop bar and terrace. If you can, go for the Eiffel Tower Suite – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 17 Avenue Kléber, 75016 Paris

Hotel Plaza Athénée

Hotel Plaza Athénée is located in Avenue Montaigne, in the heart of the “Golden Triangle” in Paris 8.

This famous hotel in Paris was built in two campaigns between 1902 and 1909, and it was designed in an eclectic style by architect Charles Lefèvre. Active since 1913, this legendary hotel has welcomed royalty, celebrities, and politicians on their visit to the City of Lights, and it is considered one of the best hotels in Paris.

During the Second World War, it was successively occupied by the German and American commands. It returned to its commercial activity in 1946.

Hotel Plaza Athénée embodies the Haute Couture spirit, offering its guests a beautiful choice of unique rooms and suites designed with exquisite Louis XVI or Art Déco inspired décor.

The hotel also has great facilities and amazing public areas, like a charming inner garden and five on-site restaurants led by a Michelin-star chef. If possible, go for the Eiffel Suite, with a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 25 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris

Hotel Le Meurice

The Hotel Le Meurice is located facing the Tuileries Garden, in the first Arrondissement of Paris. This famous hotel in Paris was initially opened in 1771 as a first-class hotel for English tourists to ensure they had accommodation that provided all the exquisite comforts they were accustomed to at home. The hotel was then expanded in 1835 and has been frequented by some of the world’s most influential people ever since.

Since the 1930s, the hotel has had many royal guests stay, which has led to it often being referred to as the “hotel of kings”. The list of royal guests includes the Spanish King Alphonso XIII, the Prince of Wales, the kings of Italy, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, Denmark, Montenegro, the Shah of Persia, and Le Bey of Tunis. 

Other well-known guests have included Rockefeller, the President of the French Republic, Dumbledore and US President Roosevelt, Count Ciano, British Prime Minister Anthony Eden, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and Bob Dylan.

During WW2, the hotel was used as the headquarters for the German Army and as official accommodation for General Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of Paris under the German occupation.

There are 160 rooms and suites on offer, all decorated with a mix of exquisite 18th-century features and modern-day pieces. Like most of the famous hotels in Paris, all rooms include modern amenities such as a wall-mounted TV, USB ports, and bathrooms with Italian marble and deep bathtubs.

The hotel’s facilities include a day spa, steam room, sauna, fitness center, bar, two restaurants (including a two-star Michelin restaurant) – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris

Hotel de Crillon

Previously known as the Hotel d’Aumont, Hotel de Crillon was built in 1765 and is the oldest of the Palace Hotels in Paris.

Acquired by the Crillon family in 1788, it was then confiscated by the government during the French Revolution before being eventually returned to the Crillon family, who owned it until 1907. It was then bought by the Société des Grands Magasins du Louvre and transformed into a luxury hotel.

In 1940, the hotel once again changed ownership when General Bogislav von Studnitz took ownership when the Occupation of Paris began. It was then used for prisoners of war, and then, during the Liberation of Paris in 1944, German snipers took fire from the windows of the hotel.

Like most of the historic hotels Paris has, this hotel has attracted some very influential guests. In fact, it was here that in 1919, American President Woodrow Wilson and the Allied delegates drew up the constitutive pact of the League of Nations.

Other famous guests include Winston Churchill, US President Richard Nixon, Emperor of Japan Hirohito, Egyptian Hosni Mubarak, Queen Noor of Jordan, Mohamed V, King of Morocco, Queen Sofia of Spain, Nobel Prize winners Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres, Fidel Castro, and singer Madonna.  It is also said to be where Queen Marie-Antoinette came to take her piano lessons.

The Hotel de Crillon has 124 rooms and suites, all decorated in lovely muted tones. Rooms include spacious marble bathrooms with underfloor heating. 

This luxurious hotel offers great facilities, including a spa and indoor pool, hair salon, bar, two restaurants, sauna, steam room, and fitness center – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 10 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris

Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris

The Four Seasons Hotel George V, in Paris 8, is one of the most modern Paris Palace Hotels in this guide. Being built in 1928, the Hotel George V is considered one of the most prestigious hotels not just in Paris but in the whole world! 

This luxury Art-Déco hotel is lavishly decorated with period interiors containing spectacular works of art, crystal chandeliers, 17th-century tapestries, and extravagant flower displays. 

The hotel has 244 rooms and suites, all featuring a classic Louis XV style. The bright rooms feature a desk, comfy armchairs, coffee table, flat-screen TVs, minifridges, espresso machines, and marble bathrooms with a tub and walk-in shower.

The hotel features three Michelin-star restaurants, an ornate afternoon tea lounge, and a chic bar featuring antique furniture and 19th-century art. Other facilities at the hotel include a marble courtyard, a luxurious spa, an indoor pool, a hot tub, a sauna, and a steam room – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 31 Avenue George V, 75008 Paris

Le Bristol Paris 

Le Bristol Paris opened in 1925 and has since been celebrated as one of the most luxurious hotels in Paris. In fact, in 1962, the American travel guide “Fielding’s Travel Guide to Europe” ranked the hotel in the top position, securing a prestigious reputation in the USA that still continues today.

In 1940, the hotel briefly became the home of the American Embassy before being returned to its original purpose as a hotel. Since that time, several famous people have stayed here, including Konrad Adenauer, Kim Novak, Rita Hayworth, and Charlie Chaplin.

Le Bristol Paris was the very first of the Palace Hotels in Paris due to its excellence in fine service and first-class facilities. There are 188 spacious rooms and suites for guests, which are in two separate buildings connected by a long gallery. Rooms are styled traditionally with floral bedspreads, grand curtains, antique furniture, and marble bathrooms with heated floors.

Address: 112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris

5-Star Historic Hotels in Paris  

These luxury and famous hotels in Paris were chosen by nobles and celebrities as their pied-à-terre in the city, and they all share an interesting history. Here’s the list of the best historic hotels in Paris.

Ritz Paris

Located in the elegant Place Vendôme, in the 1st arrondissement, the Ritz is one of the most famous hotels in Paris. It was first opened in 1898 when it quickly gained a reputation for providing luxurious accommodation to well-known politicians and movie stars. 

Like many large hotels, the Ritz was requisitioned during WW2. During this time, the hotel was acquired by the Germans to be the seat of the Luftwaffe and to receive the guests of the Führer. Marshal Göring, chief of the Luftwaffe and the commander-in-chief of the city of Paris, resided there.

In honor of some of its more famous past guests, the Ritz has named suites after their guests, such as Coco Chanel, who lived here until she died, and Ernest Hemingway. In fact, there is even the Hemingway Bar. 

Perhaps one of the most well-known guests at the Ritz was Princess Diana, who dined here in 1997 with her lover Dodi just before their fatal car crash.

Today, this luxurious modern-day hotel offers 142 guest rooms and suites, which are lavishly decorated with fine woodwork, canopied beds, chandeliers, velvet sofas, period oil paintings, and marble fireplaces.  Some of the rooms feature a terrace or balcony. 

Facilities at the hotel include a pool, sauna, fitness center, restaurants, bars, and spa – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 15 Place Vendôme, 75001 Paris

Le Pavillon de la Reine & Spa

Le Pavillon de la Reine is located in the heart of Le Marais, one of the historic areas of Paris. Being built in 1612 by King Henry IV of France, this is the oldest hotel in this guide. 

The hotel was named after Queen Anne of Austria, who once stayed in one of the wings. Given the age of the building, it’s not surprising that in 1984, the hotel was listed as a historical monument.

This stunning hotel sits just back from the Place des Vosges in a private garden courtyard. The façade of the hotel is covered in a lovely ivy, giving it a countryside feel despite its city location. 

This is an intimate hotel with only 56 rooms, all of which are styled differently. You will find some rooms with exposed beams and decorated with antique pieces, while other rooms are styled with a more contemporary look.

The public spaces contain soft furnishings, marble fireplaces, and aristocratic portraits. On-site facilities include a fitness center, steam room, and spa – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 28 Place des Vosges, 75003 Paris

Hotel Lutetia 

Built in 1910 by Mr. Boucicaut, owner of the Bon Marché department store, the Hotel Lutetia is the most famous hotel on Paris’s Left Bank. Mr. Boucicaut built this hotel so that his most important customers had somewhere to stay when they came to Paris for their shopping.

During WW2, the German Army requisitioned the hotel. It was occupied by the Abwehr – the intelligence and counterintelligence service of the German General Staff – which installed its headquarters there. After the war, the hotel became the home for French Jewish survivors on their return from concentration camps, welcoming up to 2,000 people each day.

As with many hotels in this guide, over the decades, Hotel Lutetia has been visited by several well-known people. Famous guests of the hotel include Andre Gide, James Joyce (who wrote “Ulysses” at the hotel), Picasso, Matisse, Josephine Baker, François Mitterrand, and Albert Cohen, who was living at the Lutetia while writing his masterpiece “Belle du Seigneur.”

Hotel Lutetia was Paris’ first Art-Decó hotel, and today, many of these original features can still be seen, such as the grand revolving door. 

The Art-Decó style is continued in the 184 guest rooms. Each room contains a flat-screen, Wi-Fi, minibar, and marble bathrooms with deep marble tubs.

Guest facilities here include a restaurant, bar, spa, outdoor pool, sauna, steam room, and fitness center – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 45 Boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris

Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s Paris

While the Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s in its current state only opened in 2006, the building it resides in dates back to 1910 when it was called the Hotel of Countess of Granon-d’Aster. The hotel’s famous brasserie, Le Fouquet’s, dates back even further to 1899, where many international movie stars dined.

During the 1930s, Marlène Dietrich, Jean Gabin, and Sacha Guitry used to sign their contracts under the name of Fouquet’s. Then the Nouvelle Vague followed, and people like Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Paul Belmondo made Le Fouquet’s their headquarters.

In 1976, Maurice Casanova, the buyer of Fouquet’s, organized with Georges Cravenne the evenings of the Molière and César Awards (the national theater and cinema awards in France). Today, this glamorous tradition of the post-Caesar gala dinner continues. Several dishes are named in honor of the gourmet preferences of actors and directors. Pedro Almodóvar, Kevin Costner, Kate Winslet, or Harrison Ford sat there.

This famous hotel in Paris has 81 fabulous rooms and suites which are all modernly decorated in mahogany wood and silk and velvet fabrics. Rooms include a flat-screen TV, seating area, and a complimentary mini-bar.

As you walk into the hotel you feel like you are entering a private club. The interiors are dark and discreet, whilst the inner courtyard is large, quiet, and airy. The hotel’s facilities include 2 restaurants (including the famous Le Fouquet’s Brasserie), 3 bars, a fitness center, pool, and steam room – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 46 Avenue George V, 75008 Paris

Prince de Galles

The hotel Prince de Galles was built in 1928 in Art-Decó style on the old quarries of Chaillot, which also served the construction of the Arc de Triomphe. The origin of the name of the hotel is easy to guess: the palace was intended to accommodate Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales, son of King George V (name of the avenue on which the hotel is located).

Over the decades, several influential people have resided at this historic hotel in Paris. Well-known guests have included Sir Winston Churchill, Marlene Dietrich, Laurel and Hardy, Charles Laughton, Dalida (who attempted to end his life in his room, following the suicide of his lover Luigi Tenco), and Elvis Presley who served out his military service in Germany and spent his weekends in Paris.

This Art-Decó hotel was reopened in 2013 after two years of renovations, which enabled it to receive its current 5-star rating. The hotel’s interiors now feature Saint-Laurent black marble, Pierre Frey and Zimmer + Rohde fabrics, stunning chandeliers, and black-and-white prints shot by Vogue in the 1920s. 

The hotel Prince de Galles has 159 guest rooms including 44 suites ranging in sizes from standard to penthouse. Rooms are contemporary decorated and each room contains a marble bathroom complete with gorgeous wall mosaics.

Facilities at the hotel include a Michelin star restaurant, bar, steam room, and fitness center – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 33 Avenue George V, 75008 Paris

Le Scribe Paris Opera

The building, which is now home to the Hotel Scribe, has served a colorful history since it was built in 1861.

Originally built as part of the creation of the Opera district by Baron Haussmann, the building was chosen as the site for the prestigious equestrian group, the Jockey Club.

In 1895, the Hotel Scribe was also where the Lumière brothers presented the world’s first motion picture.

Over the years, the hotel has welcomed many well-known guests. Celebrities that have visited Hotel Scribe include the Duke of Morny, Prince of Sagan, Marcel Proust, Serge Diaghilev, Josephine Baker, and Lee Miller.

Guest rooms are warmly decorated and include modern amenities and bathrooms with a tub. Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, spa, and fitness center – Click here for more information and pictures

Address: 1 Rue Scribe, 75009 Paris

And there you have it; the list of best historic hotels in Paris, famous hotels in Paris perfect for a luxury stay in the City of Light.

Click here for more Accommodation in Paris

Back to Homepage