The Ritz, a true grand dame of the Parisian hotel scene, has cocooned everyone from great writers and film stars to visiting royalty, set apart by its fastidious approach to service. This renovated legendary hotel offers unparalleled palatial opulence on Place Vendôme, with the price tag to match.
Place Vendôme has long been the glittering center of Paris. The Ritz’s long-time resident Coco Chanel designed the first octagonal stopper for Chanel N°5 to mirror its geometry, and today it’s surrounded by Chopard, Piaget, and Van Cleef & Arpels. Within five minutes walk you can lose yourself amid the genteel boutiques of rue Saint-Honoré, the colonnades of the Palais Royal, or the shady pathways of the Tuileries. A 10-minute walk will take you to Galeries Lafayette, the Louvre, or the Musée d’Orsay.
It’s a shame not to be whisked to and from the hotel by the chauffeur, but if you want to take the métro, Opéra, Madeleine and Tuileries are all within five minutes walk.
Ritz Paris opened way back in 1898, so the hotel is one of the oldest in Paris.
This hotel has endless history, so here are a few noteworthy things:
- Ernest Hemingway frequently stayed at the hotel, and this was where he learned his wife wanted a divorce; he threw her photo in the toilet and then shot the photo with a pistol (as one does); to this day, the hotel has a bar named after him
- In 1997, Princess Diana dined in the Imperial Suite at the Ritz Paris the night she ended up in a fatal car accident
- Between 2012 and 2016 the hotel underwent its first full renovation since opening, which cost an estimated $450 million
- In 2018, five men stole millions of Euros worth of jewelry from the hotel, in the highest profile hotel robbery in the city’s history
The Ritz Paris’ interior is so unbelievably over-the-top (as you’d hope, given that the renovation apparently cost almost half a billion dollars). You feel like you’re being transported to some amazing palace in a different era, and the details in design are endless. Would I want to live in a place with decor like this? Heck no. But when staying at a property in Paris with so much history, this is perfect.
The hotel doesn’t have a single “grand” lobby, but rather the public spaces mainly consist of long hallways that connect various parts of the hotel. The reception was located inside the entrance of the hotel and to the right.
Most of the hotel’s food & beverage outlets are located off the main hallway. This includes Bar Vendôme and L’Espadon Restaurant. Salon Proust is also located just off the lobby. This is used for an afternoon tea service, but for the rest of the day it’s an area where guests can just hang out.
Towards the back of the lobby are some long corridors with many high-end shops, and at the far end of that are the hotel’s two famous bars, including Bar Hemingway and the Ritz Bar.
I had booked the entry-level superior room, and at the time of booking our room was upgraded from one category to an executive room. Specifically, I was assigned room 312. Given the history of the building (this wasn’t all originally one hotel), there are many ways to get to rooms, including several sets of elevators and stairs.
My room was on the third floor (the hotel has six floors) Executive rooms are the Ritz Paris are marketed as being 430 square feet. While not huge, they’re a great size for a room in Paris. The room featured a long entryway, with the bathroom to the right, and several hidden doors on both sides, revealing everything from closets to minibars. The room itself was simply opulent. It’s rare you get a hotel room that looks this historic without feeling run down, but this hotel manages to accomplish that. The room featured a comfortable king-size bed, a chair with a side table, and then a desk with a chair.
Waiting on one of the side tables was a welcome amenity, consisting of a bottle of water, fresh fruit, and some chocolate “keys.” The room had a small balcony overlooking the hotel’s courtyard. This meant there was almost no street noise, which was nice.
The rooms, decorated with Empire-style furniture and rich fabrics, might not be to everyone’s taste. Even the smallest are larger than the average one-bedroom Parisian apartment, while the suites could have been transported straight from Versailles. Technology is carefully concealed, from televisions hidden in gilt-framed mirrors to leather-bound remote controls. Coffee machines are absent to emphasize the hotel’s commitment to service, although will be spirited into rooms on request, and you’ll find a bespoke magazine-style guide to the city rather than a tablet.
The bathrooms retain plenty of original features. Toiletries were hotel branded and were of high quality.
You can’t miss the delightfully ostentatious gold swan taps, peach bath linens (said by the hotel’s founder César Ritz to enhance the complexion), and bells to call the valet from the comfort of your bath, albeit now only for show.
The Bar
The Ritz Paris has two famous bars, and I decided to check them both out during my stay. These are extremely popular with hotel guests and outsiders alike, so expect you may have to wait to get a table.
The bar is quite intimate and has some bar seating as well as around a dozen tables (the below picture was taken the following morning, so suffice to say that the “cover” around the bar is usually lifted).
The bar has an innovative cocktail list and cocktails. On the plus side, at least they serve a bunch of macadamia nuts and there’s also no opportunity to add a tip, unlike at most other hotels in Paris.
Ritz Paris Bar Hemingway
Bar Hemingway is open from 6 PM until 2 AM. The bar features just 25 seats, and the head barman is Colin Field, who has twice been named the “Best Head Barman in the World.” Drink menus come in the form of a newspaper titled “The Hemingway Star,” which is cute. Drinks were priced in the range of 30-34 EUR each, and I decided to have “the world-famous clean dirty martini,’. Drinks were served with mixed nuts and olives.
Ritz Paris Bar Vendôme
In my effort to experience as much of the hotel as possible during one night stay, I decided to have dinner at Bar Vendôme, the hotel’s all-day Parisian brasserie. I loved the vibe here there was a live singer and piano player, Julian, who was awesome. I decided to order the cod (cooked with ginger and curry, coconut, and pistachio rice), and the dishes were excellent.
Ritz Paris L’Espadon Restaurant (breakfast)
Breakfast is served from 7 AM until 11 AM at L’Espadon Restaurant. Like the rest of the hotel, the breakfast room is a work of art. I ordered the “healthy breakfast”. My breakfast was probably the most delicious breakfast I’ve ever had in Paris. First, a basket was brought out with freshly baked pastries, croissants, and bread. Then ordered drinks, including freshly squeezed orange juice, cappuccinos, and lattes. My breakfast included five different dishes, including gluten-free avocado toast, coconut milk yogurt with granola, almond milk, chia oatmeal, and a couple of fruit bowls. The breakfast was incredible, and the service couldn’t have been friendlier. It’s always nice to get that level of service and passion without even having an option to tip.
Ritz Paris service, ambiance, and scene
Service at the Ritz Paris was extremely polished across the board. From the seamless check-in experience to all the restaurant servers, employees were perfectly trained and seemed genuinely eager to please.
I’ve long been curious about the Ritz Paris, and I’m grateful I had the chance to experience it. This is a hotel with so much history, and you feel like you’re being transported to a different world when you’re here. The rooms are beautiful, the food & drink outlets excellent, the gym and pool are top-notch, and service here is refined.
