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PARIS
Fabulously opulent, unapologetically glamorous and boasting a gastronomic dining experience to please even the fussiest epicurean, La Réserve Paris Hotel & Spa is synonymous with the City of Lights. If you’re looking for an antidote to the rest of Paris, rather than an extension of it, this stunning five-star favourite just off the Champs-Elysées will be right up your street.
No city in Europe has as much of a stirringly romantic atmosphere at nearly every luxury property you encounter as it does in Paris. So when Michel Reybier hospitality group opened La Réserve in 2015 in this luxury-saturated city, many wondered what this new outpost could add to the already plentiful hotel mix. It turns out – a lot. The group’s portfolio is small but holds a big reputation, often linked to its famous spa offering, and loyal following. There are currently five La Réserve properties – one in Switzerland, and four in France.
Our five-star welcome was a highlight to say the least.
I was handed a card to the Presidential Suite upon checking in, and ushered upstairs by our two personal butlers (on duty around-the-clock, might I add). Despite the close proximity of the Marigny theatre to the hotel, the real show is here: each suite is an amazing stage where Parisian life is played out in every detail of the suite. We were given a tour of the gargantuan apartment, to the walk-in wardrobe (which also had a fully-kitted weights set), separate en-suite toilet, bedroom, and main living room.
Think deep velvet interiors, soft rugs, silk throws, damascene brocade and floral banquets. The room is also adorned with handpicked antiques (a touch I loved), a private bar, herringbone-patterned wooden flooring, a spacious boudoir dressing room… and my favourite bit. A wine fridge stocked full of Grand Cru wines and champagne.
The bar also came with a fabulous range of cocktail ingredients and crockery, so you can have it shaken, stirred, or both right in the comfort of your own bedroom. A nespresso machine is also included, fully kitted with premium capsules and dainty cups to enjoy on the balcony with, well, a view.
The epic Carrara and Turquin blue marble bathroom came fully fitted with a round top bathtub, an Italian-style shower as well as his and her vanity sinks. Amenities were Reybier own-brand, which quickly found their way into my bag.
From the higher floors, enjoy the perfect viewpoint to experience the repertoire of the most famous Parisian landmarks: the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais glass roof, the spires of Notre-Dame in the distance – these views are paramount along the balcony that borders the entire suite.
The facilities are substantial, given the intimate size of the hotel: there's a 52-foot lap pool, a gym with personal trainer options, and a spa offering treatments using Nescens-Swiss products. The stunning Duc de Mornay Library is exclusive to hotel guests in the morning and houses over 3,000 books and comes with a cigar lounge for those wanting civilised conversation and a night cap in the later hours.
Image courtesy of Eva Piskadlo
The hotel offers an array of splendid dining options, the most notable being two-Michelin-star Le Gabriel by Jérôme Banctel, and the more casual La Pagode de Cos. Le Gabriel interprets classic French fine dining with influences around the world, whilst La Pagode de Cos, also helmed by Jérôme, reinvents classic French favourites. You can enjoy the latter in the hotel’s idyllic courtyard or in the grandeur dining room – both are terrific.
Breakfast at La Réserve is served either in the comfort of your own suite or downstairs at La Pagode de Cos. Being one to enjoy people watching whilst I have my morning coffee, we opted to have our dejeuner in the restaurant. Options range from an American, European, or Continental breakfast. All come with a fabulous French coffee and a big pastry basket, obviously.
La Reserve is very much the city’s happy place – and now it is mine too. With all the luxurious benefits of a larger hotel, but the personable feeling of staying in a private maison, this is a place you'll want to come back to again and again. The service is warm and genuine, two words not usually used to describe Parisian hospitality. It really was an exceptional stay, and genuinely intend to stay at this gem of a property every time I visit the City of Lights from now onwards.
La Réserve Paris Hotel & Spa, 42 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, France, +33 1 58 36 60 60
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