Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal – Hotel Review

An elegantly outfitted hotel of boutique proportions, Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal is an exceptionally placed pad to leap around Paris from, with the Louvre, the Pont Neuf and the Tuileries all within strolling distance. Read on for the full review.

Under the discerning decorative eye of interior great Pierre-Yves Rochon (of Waldorf, St. Regis and Four Seasons fame), the 1st arrondissement property embodies understated French elegance, finished with a little contemporary flair (Louis-style chairs and Eero Saarinen-style tulip tables? Oui!). While it may seem compact in size, it hides a wealth of amenities from an intricately mosaic-tiled hammam to a diminutive day spa, beauty salon, hairdresser, fitness centre and courtyard-straddling cafe to boot.

Where is Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal?

In the 1st arrondissement in the absolute heart of the city. From here, Charles de Gaulle airport is about a 35-minute taxi ride and Orly is a little less than that. The closest metro station is, impressively, Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre — and it’s less than 100 metres away.

What’s near Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal?

The location is a right bank knockout: the nearby Louvre (200 metres) and Jardin du Tuileries landing the one-two punch. From here, it seems nowhere is out of reach: the pipe-knotted façade of the Pompidou is little more than 15 minutes’ walk (ditto the quaint streets of the Marais) and even the left bank Musee d’Orsay is only 17 minutes away on foot, over the Seine. And the Pont Neuf? A 12-minute hop, skip and jump.

Room types

To really live out your Parisian fantasy, you’ll need a balcony and the good news is all room types at Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal have the option of one, even the entry level Classic. All rooms also include Diptyque amenities, Nespresso machines (Junior suites and above) and marble bathrooms as well as bathrobes and slippers. In town for an event? The Executive Room houses a dressing room (c’est chic!) while the incomparable Rooftop Suite, which sprawls over an impressive 70 square metres on the seventh floor, has 180-degree views of the city, best admired from the terrace.

Restaurants and bars

In place of the now-closed and much beloved Le Lulli is Café 52 Paris 1er, a light, bright cafe overlooking the internal courtyard that caters to almost all dietary preferences. Vegetarian, vegan as well as gluten and lactose-free options comprise the menu of fresh classics such as poke and burrata with nectarine and pistachio. (Don’t worry: Champagne and coconut water both make the drinks menu.)

Travel for work

All manner of meetings and events can be organised at Grand Hotel du Palais Royal, spanning private meals at the downstairs cafe to the compact Le Salon Colette, a boardroom-style space with room for 10.
All rooms have space for working with a desk and Louis-style chair (of course).

Spa and gym

Bouncing around the hotel’s wellness area for a few hours is always a good use of time. Sweat seekers will gravitate towards the hammam, while switching off lends itself to a trip to Holidermie Spa, a treatment centre offering everything from organic facials to luxurious body treatments harnessing the eco-conscious products of its namesake.

Not your speed? Hit the gym instead, where you’ll find TechnoGym equipment and free weights amid oh-so-chic lithographic wallpaper.

Sustainability

The hotel is a recipient of the Green Key, the industry’s first sustainable tourism label.  Eco-friendly initiatives throughout the hotel include recycled packaging in the spa Holidermie products, and sustainable produce fashioned into fare at the on-site cafe.

What you need to know

Emily in Paris, the love-to-hate-it Paris-based Netflix show, uses a building across the road from the hotel as protagonist Emily’s fictional office address. If you see tourists taking snaps for social or, helped by the hotel itself, wearing personalised T-shirts and berets, that’s the reason. Whether you partake in the low-level hysteria is up to you.