Atout France, the French Agency for Tourism Development, first created the “palace hotel” distinction in November 2010 to distinguish the five-star hotels which are truly unique. With exceptional facilities, these hotels are a showcase for architectural heritage, personalized service, unbeatable geographic locations, and design. The label lasts for a period of five years, when it can then be renewed.
This brings the total number of palace hotels to 23 establishments, 10 of which are in Paris: Four Seasons George V, Le Bristol, Mandarin Oriental, Le Meurice, Park Hyatt Place Vendome, Le Royal Monceau, Plaza Athénée, Le Royal Monceau-Raffles, Shangri-La, The Peninsula, and now La Réserve.
LES SOURCES DE CAUDALIE
Les Sources de Caudalie, located among the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a Graves great growth, was established in 1999. The concept behind Les Sources de Caudalie is inspired by the “French Paradox”, discovered over 20 years ago. It refers to a study proving that the French diet and lifestyle, particularly in Southwest France, is conducive to good health. Between vineyards and forests, at only 20 minutes from Bordeaux center, the architect Yves Collet created from scratch contemporary buildings from recycled local materials in tune with the surroundings.
Alice and Jérôme Tourbier have managed Les Sources de Caudalie for the past ten years in keeping with the values they hold dear: well-being, generosity, authenticity, high-quality service, and emotion.
A stay in this hotel, with its 40 rooms and 21 suites, is the gateway to exploring an attractive region with a strong personality. The six cottages also revolve around the region’s rich, varied culture as reflected in paintings, antiques, and warm-coloured fabrics.
HOTEL LE ROYAL EVIAN
The Hôtel Royal is a 5-star luxury palace hotel located in the heart of Europe in Evian-les-Bains, France, on the shores of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the Alps, just 28 miles from Geneva international airport in Switzerland.
The Hôtel Royal offers 150 rooms including 32 suites, set in 47-acre private grounds overlooking Lake Geneva in the hills above Evian-les-Bains.
Designed by the architect Jean-Albert Hébrard, and totally refurbished in 2015, the Hôtel Royal combines the charm of the French Belle Epoque with the elegance of modern design. The hotel’s signature colour, powder blue, has been retained and enhanced by bright touches. New materials including Carrara marble, solid oak and teak, add a regal touch and bring the Hôtel Royal’s heritage up-to-date to fit in with the today’s world of luxury.
Guest accommodation features lithographs, family photographs and a period desk. Over 1,500 carefully selected works of graphic and photographic art by leading artists make up the Hôtel Royal’s collection. From the 6th floor suites, the panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the French and Swiss Alps are breathtaking. Attention to detail and the ultimate in refinement are present throughout.
LA BASTIDE DE GORDES
At the heart of a village that inspired Marc Chagall, Victor Vasarely and Jean Deyrolle, La Bastide de Gordes offers intimate, restful interiors with uninterrupted views over the valley and the Luberon mountains.
At the center of that village, La Bastide de Gordes offers all the splendor of a former stately home. Carved into the very rock face of the hill, and built on 12th-century ramparts, the chateau is integrated into fortifications of the village. Combining charm, elegance, comfort and luxury, the hotel features intimate, welcoming and restful interiors. The fine art of receiving guests is evident throughout the rooms and suites, three of which boast private terraces. Handsomely appointed in a refined yet relaxed style, with appealingly rustic touches, they provide unparalleled and memorable views over the fabled Luberon Valley and mountains.
LE RESERVE HOTEL, PARIS
Mid-way between Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne, a stone’s throw from the Champs-Elysées, where the heart of Paris beats. Nestled in a peaceful location, slightly set back from the world’s most beautiful avenue, La Réserve Paris – Hotel and Spa overlooks the Grand Palais, the Eiffel Tower, the Pantheon and the Concorde obelisk. Just in front, a majestic curtain of trees preserves the intimacy of this place, like an echo of the Elysée gardens nearby.
Michel Reybier’s highly distinctive urban mansion has all the elegance of a 19th century private apartment, where ultra-personalized services can be enjoyed in complete simplicity and discretion.
All around are immense spaces bathed in light, barely muted by the rich fabrics of the hangings. Scattered here and there are beautiful marble fireplaces, and everywhere the joy of vast indoor spaces, typical of Haussmann-style apartments. The noble and generous materials exude a forgotten spirit of generosity. More suites than rooms, a library reserved for guests and their friends, a smoking lounge, a 16-meter indoor pool (a rarity in Paris), wine cellars in the suites, an inner courtyard with lush greenery echoing the landscaped entrance. At La Réserve Paris – Hotel and Spa, you experience the quintessence of Parisian chic in the Belle Époque.
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