Thermal Waters, Sea Air, Alpine Forests: France’s Best Wellness Hotels

Long before wellness became a global industry, France cultivated a culture of wellbeing in its thermal towns, thalassotherapy centers, preventive medicine, and seasonal cuisine. That legacy endures today in some of the country’s most respected hotels—from Paris to the French Riviera—where restorative experiences are shaped by place, whether through alpine air in Megève, mineral-rich waters in historic spa towns, or sea air along the Atlantic coast.

Looking for a thermal retreat in a centuries-old spa town? A sea-facing Riviera escape with a palatial spa and restorative time in the sun? A mountain hideaway centered on alpine air and movement? You’ll find these standout stays and more on Afar’s curated list of the best wellness hotels in France—part of our Hotels We Love series spotlighting the country’s most compelling hotels and resorts. (For travelers looking beyond wellness-focused stays, see our dedicated guides to Paris, the French Riviera, and France more broadly.)

Airelles Château de la Messardière

Courtesy of Airelles Château de la Messardière

At Airelles Château de la Messardière, which commands a hilltop above Saint-Tropez, the arbor at the entrance is festooned with green plants that complement the surrounding forest of parasol pines. From this setting, you can take in 360-degree views of the Med—from the Bay of Saint-Tropez to the Plage de Pampelonne. The château dates from the 19th century, when a cognac merchant built it as a wedding gift for his daughter and her cavalry officer husband. Later it became a hotel that’s been part of France’s high-end, nine-property Airelles Collection since 2021. (The original Airelles Hotel helped establish Courchevel as a luxury ski destination par excellence.)

The 86-room Château de la Messardière encompasses 32 acres studded with shimmering pools, tennis and padel courts, a marble-clad Valmont spa, and jasmine-scented gardens. The 10,700-square-foot Saint-Tropez Spa is a focal point, offering anti-aging skincare treatments alongside hydrotherapy and Thai massages. There’s a lunch buffet at La Table—with pastries by star pâtissier Cédric Grolet—plus Japanese and Latin American delights from chef Nobu Matsuhisa at his eponymous Matsuhisa restaurant. Or opt for Mediterranean fare by another top chef, Jean-François Piège, at the Jardin Tropezina beach club (transfers are by Rolls-Royce). Read Afar’s full list of top French Riviera hotels.—Mary Winston Nicklin

Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel

Courtesy of Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel

The Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, is part of the history of Cannes. The cream-colored confection—its twin domes said to be inspired by a famous courtesan’s breasts—was the first luxury hotel to open in 1913, effectively making Cannes a summer beach destination. Over the years, the guest list has included Hollywood’s crème de la crème, starting with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant when Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch a Thief, and to this day, it hosts the jury of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Reopened in 2023 after a five-year restoration project, the 332-room hotel is making waves anew on La Croisette. There are two new wings, a Mediterranean garden, an infinity pool, and the C Club Fitness and Spa, which has the city’s first boxing ring. Designer Tristan Auer recruited the finest French craftspeople to restore the gold leaf, chandeliers, and acres of marble. And there’s no better vantage point to admire the Big Blue than the love seats in front of the French windows (72 rooms have sea views).

When you need to recharge, the spa offers a contemporary counterpoint to the hotel’s Belle Époque grandeur, with fitness-driven programming and restorative treatments designed for recovery during festival season and beyond. Read Afar’s full list of top French Riviera hotels.—MWN

Cheval Blanc Paris

Photo by Alexandre Tabaste/Cheval Blanc

Opened in 2021, the first urban resort from LVMH—the arbiter and exporter of French luxury—is sumptuous at every turn. A 100-foot pool, the largest of any French hotel, is covered in hand-laid mosaic tiles, while a series of virtual window panels display illustrated scenes of the Seine in perpetual motion as you swim laps. A penthouse apartment has its own 41-foot pool, projection space, and panoramic terrace. Plénitude, the fine-dining restaurant, earned three Michelin stars within months of opening. The hotel was designed by Peter Marino, an American known for his chromatic and sculptural retail spaces in the LVMH universe, including the recently renovated Tiffany’s flagship in New York.

The 72 guest rooms at Cheval Blanc, of which 46 are suites, occupy the Seine side of the Samaritaine, the art deco heritage shopping complex also restored by LVMH. This translates into some of the best river views of any hotel in the city, on display from in-room bay windows and the rooftop restaurant terraces. Butlers draw baths for guests before they return to their rooms, and guests may be treated to exclusive visits to the Louis Vuitton ateliers near Paris.

In addition to chef Arnaud Donckele’s three-Michelin-star restaurant, Plénitude (with a yearlong waitlist), Cheval Blanc Paris offers the more casual Le Tout Paris brasserie; Langosteria, the Italian restaurant group’s first outpost outside of Milan; and a one-Michelin-star experience on the ground floor at Hakuba, a 17-step omakase experience led by sushi master Takuya Watanabe. For visitors looking to feel rejuvenated, the Dior spa offers 46 different facial and body treatments, including the unique Rêve Couture, a manicure, massage, and blowout. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris.—Lindsey Tramuta

Hotel du Cap Eden Roc

Courtesy of Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

At this 150-year-old grande dame, old-school glamour mingles with Riviera hedonism on its manicured, pine tree–studded grounds. Well-heeled regulars, returning season after season to Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, appreciate the loyalty of long-term staff. During the Cannes Film Festival, tycoons and oligarchs feature on the guest list, rubbing shoulders with high-profile celebrities who relax with croquet games between press junkets. Part of Oetker hotels, the property made an appearance in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night; Picasso once designed the menus; in 2011, Chanel presented its annual travel-inspired Cruise collection in the Grande Allée.

It’s that sense of history, coupled with wonderful service, that distinguishes the Hotel du Cap. In 2024, an additional 34 (of 117) rooms were touched up with original artwork and new fabrics by Pierre Frey to complement original details such as chandeliers and Louis XV furniture. The 31 seaside cabanas also got a glow-up. At the new Dior spa, results-driven custom facials and body treatments draw on the house’s skincare expertise. As of summer 2025, the hotel also welcomed the new Villa La Guettière, a private nine-bedroom retreat serviced by a team of private butlers and a chef. Read Afar’s full list of top French Riviera hotels.—MWN

Hôtel du Palais

Courtesy of Hôtel du Palais

On the Atlantic coast near the Spanish border, Biarritz is a beguiling mix of glamour and laid-back surfer vibes. This ambience is embodied in the Hôtel du Palais, a landmark on the Grande Plage that’s closely linked to its setting. The hotel was originally built in the mid 19th century as an imperial villa for Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, who transformed the seaside town into a fashionable resort frequented by monarchs and exiled Russian aristocrats. The Villa Eugénie later became a luxury hotel, and to this day, the beau monde hold court at this seaside address.

Part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, this Palace-classified hotel completed a four-year renovation in 2021, restoring not only the facade and slate roof but also the period furniture, tapestries, and signature blue carpet—adorned with Napoleon III’s imperial bees—on the grand staircase and hallways connecting the 86 rooms and 56 suites. The chandelier alone (weighing 904 pounds) in the Bar Napoléon III required some 250 hours of restoration work. A full-time team of artisans looks after the furnishings, and guests can even participate in regular gilding workshops to learn about the craft.

The ocean panoramas are framed through enormous windows in La Rotonde, the restaurant that celebrity chef Alain Ducasse once called “the world’s most beautiful dining room.” Orchestrating the kitchens since 2024, chef Christophe Scheller spins up creative dishes using local products like freshly caught John Dory and foie gras from Les Landes. Notable accoutrements include a heated outdoor pool with direct beach access and a sprawling, five-level spa with a counter-current pool and Guerlain treatments. When the waves are glassy, the hotel can set you up with surf lessons. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in France.—MWN

La Réserve Ramatuelle

Courtesy of La Réserve Ramatuelle

A 15-minute drive from the glamour of Saint-Tropez, the “palace”-classified La Réserve Ramatuelle channels Riviera elegance without ostentation, drawing devotees season after season. (The late Karl Lagerfeld used to rent a private villa every year.) Ramatuelle is a protected natural area, and the resort’s architectural design by Jean-Michel Wilmotte—set within the pine-clad hills—blends harmoniously with the environment. Spread across three terraced levels, the 19 rooms and eight suites maximize the Mediterranean light with floor-to-ceiling windows framing sea views; the living space extends outdoors with furnished terraces. For a refresh in 2024, designer Jacques Garcia enhanced the effect of the Provençal light with mirrors and neutral tones, while decorative painter Delphine Nény created wall frescoes echoing Jean Cocteau’s folkloric style.

Wellness is another cornerstone; La Réserve Ramatuelle is the birthplace of the longevity-focused Nescens brand with the “better aging” motto, and frequently hosts boot camps and yoga retreats. Built into the rocks, the spa has sea-facing treatment rooms, a gym, a steam room, and a sun-dappled indoor pool. For the first time in 2025, the spa—newly expanded with a Reformer Pilates studio and a contrast-therapy zone—will stay open in the winter for guests of the 13 private villas (the hotel closes seasonally in mid-October). Read Afar’s full list of top French Riviera hotels.—MWN

Le Bristol Paris

Courtesy of Le Bristol Paris

From luxury Oetker Hotels, Le Bristol is one of the first hotels in France to obtain Palace distinction. Occupying nearly an entire block on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré near the Élysée presidential palace, this property has been a gathering place for Parisians since 1925. The 188 guest rooms, which feel like private apartments, are decorated with precious fabrics, paintings, and 18th-century antiques. To celebrate its 100th birthday, the hotel renovated its collection of signature suites, including its largest, the Imperial Suite, decorated with works by American visual artist and longtime guest George Condo.

The spa by La Mer, with its teak-lined pool resembling a yacht, brings a refined wellness focus to the property, offering marine-based facials and body treatments centered on skin health, recovery, and restoration. Meanwhile, Le Bristol’s culinary dominions are a portal into French gastronomy: The hotel has its own chocolate factory, cheese cellar, flour mill, and boulangerie. Succeeding lauded chef Eric Frechon, who headed the gastronomic restaurants for more than a decade, chef Arnaud Faye took over the kitchens in 2024. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris.—MWN

Le Meurice

Courtesy of Le Meurice

Part of the Dorchester Collection, Le Meurice commands a privileged location across from the Tuileries Gardens. Its Belle Etoile suite is legendary: The landscaped terrace offers views of 18 monuments and has doubled as a set for Beyoncé and Woody Allen alike. On the sixth floor, rooms like No. 605, with hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, open onto Juliet balconies with equally cinematic panoramas.

Steeped in history, Le Meurice was Salvador Dalí’s Parisian home for a month each year over three decades—when he paraded pet ocelots through the lobby, splattered paint from his suite, and held court at teatime. Pablo Picasso celebrated his wedding here in the gilded ballroom, now a listed historic monument. Today, art ranges from contemporary lobby installations like Zoulikha Bouabdellah’s The Kiss to grand 18th-century interiors.

Dining and leisure are equally storied: Alain Ducasse oversees the signature restaurant, the Valmont spa offers Swiss precision in pampering, and Bar 228—rich in wood paneling and local lore—is said to pour the city’s best martini. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris with Eiffel Tower views.—MWN

Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris

Courtesy of Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris

Behind its classic façade in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris surprises with an edgy spirit that earned it the coveted “Palace” designation—France’s highest honor for hotels, given to just 30 properties nationwide. Opened in 1928 and reborn in the mid-2000s under Philippe Starck’s hand, the hotel brims with contemporary art and drama: oversize lobby sculptures, chandelier-filled stairwells, and more than 350 works from its private collection.

In the 85 rooms and 64 suites, Starck’s eclectic design mixes mirrored walls, marble baths, and playful touches like acoustic guitars and Bonpoint kids’ kits. Suites can even be outfitted with a mobile recording studio, a favorite perk for musicians from Celine Dion to Beyoncé. A private screening room hosts weekly film nights.

Five dining venues range from Japanese at Matsuhisa to Michelin-starred Italian at Il Carpaccio, plus weekend brunches, a cigar lounge, and one of Paris’s largest port selections at Le Bar Long. Guests can recharge in the 75-foot pool or at the Raffles Spa & Wellness, which also offers high-performance treatments by Dr. Barbara Sturm and 111Skin. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris.—LT

Les Fermes de Marie

Courtesy of Les Fermes de Marie

The Alpine town of Megève has had a reputation for luxury since the 1920s, when Baroness de Rothschild fashioned it as a ski resort to rival Switzerland’s St. Moritz. But what makes Les Fermes de Marie stand out here is its intimate hospitality. The family-run Maisons & Hotels Sibuet group, which has its roots the French Alps, rescued a number of at-risk high-altitude farms, dismantling them in the mountain pastures and reassembling them as a hamlet on a four-acre estate in Megève. Opened in 1989, Les Fermes de Marie is a celebration of heritage that channels the fairy-tale ambience of Megève: horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone streets, traditional Savoyard houses.

The deep sense of place is reflected in the design: warm woods, fur throws on fireside leather couches, weavings on walls. Some of the 70 guest rooms have terraces for admiring the snow-capped peaks. For après-ski, the Pure Altitude Spa offers ofuro baths, an outdoor sauna, and a birch tree–lined relaxation room, while the Pure Altitude product line harnesses the natural antioxidant powers of mountain plants such as edelweiss. Les Fermes de Marie is known as an all-season wellness destination with specialized retreats and treatment programs dedicated to healthy aging and natural beauty. Maisons Sibuet also offers a collection of luxury chalets in the area with five-star Fermes de Marie hotel services, including daily breakfasts, afternoon snacks, concierge services, and housekeeping. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in France.—MWN

Les Prés d’Eugénie

Courtesy of Les Prés d’Eugénie

Though the healing waters of Eugénie-les-Bains have been appreciated since Roman times, it was the Empress Eugénie who put the town back on the map for modern travelers in the 19th century. In the 1970s, Michel and Christine Guérard developed an old spa hotel into Les Prés d’Eugénie, a sought-after destination, despite its rural location in the Landes. The Relais & Châteaux property’s restaurant, Michel Guérard, has held three Michelin stars since 1977, and the hotel’s culinary school offers an immersion in the “slimming cuisine” Guérard created (one of France’s most influential chefs, Guérard passed away in 2024). Today the domain is overseen by daughters Eléonore and Adeline.

There’s an elysian quality to this place. The 20-acre park, open to the public, has palm and banana trees. Assembled by Christine Guérard over her lifetime, the antiques collection is a melange of colorful Persian carpets, oil paintings, fine French cabinetry, and Asian objets d’art. At the spa, housed in a wood farmhouse, guests are treated to an herbal infusion after they’ve soaked in a thermal bath or indulged in a Sisley facial. An epic feast at the restaurant is choreographed by a staff who nurture a familial vibe. The 45 guest rooms, divided between the main building and several other houses, embody the Guérard ethos in thoughtful touches, such as beeswax candles made from the hotel’s beehives. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in France.—MWN

Les Sources de Cheverny

Courtesy of Les Sources de Cheverny

After the success of the spa-hotel Les Sources de Caudalie near Bordeaux comes an equally impressive addition to the Loire Valley from Alice Tourbier, whose sister founded the French skincare brand Caudalie, and her husband, Jérôme Tourbier. Set around a restored 18th-century manor house, Les Sources de Cheverny encompasses 110 acres of farmland and vines with guest rooms spread out among stone houses, converted barns, and wooden cabins with lake views.

There’s plenty for guests to do on the grounds, from biking and horseback riding to taking advantage of Caudalie’s signature wine-infused treatments in the spa. Off-property excursions include visits to Chambord as well as the Château de Cheverny, cycling itineraries along the Loire à Vélo’s more than 500 miles of bike paths, and wine-tasting excursions. But no visit is complete without a meal at Le Favori, the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant that earned a Michelin star for chef Frédéric Calmel’s seasonal ode to the Loire Valley terroir. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in France.—LT

Lily of the Valley

Courtesy of Lily of the Valley

The first property from father-daughter hoteliers Alain and Lucie Weill, which opened in 2019, is unlike any other in the area. A 20-minute drive from the heart of Saint-Tropez, Lily of the Valley is an ideal spot for those who want to feel slightly removed from the glitz and more embedded in wild nature. The Philippe Starck–designed hilltop hideaway sits at the end of a winding private drive in La Croix-Valmer on the southern corner of the coast, known for dramatic headlands and footpaths. Beneath it sits the Plage de Gigaro, a secluded three-mile stretch of sand that guests can access on foot, with the hotel’s complimentary shuttle, or on one of its electric bikes.

There are 38 guest rooms, 6 suites with private terraces or gardens, 8 pool suites with both a large private garden and pool, and a massive villa that sleeps 6. All accommodations jut out over the Mediterranean.

One of the retreat’s most defining features is its health and wellness programming, with retreats that range from 4 to 21 days. The half-acre Shape Club wellness complex has its own 80-foot pool, sleek fitness rooms for TRX and Pilates, advanced Biologique Recherche facial treatments, Ayurveda massages overseen by an award-winning masseur, and a plant-based restaurant. Guests also have access to in-residence sports coaches and dietitians who tailor programs for individual goals. Bonus: This is one of few properties in Saint-Tropez to remain open year-round. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in France.—LT

Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris

Courtesy of Hôtel Lutetia Paris

From its early days hosting such writers as Samuel Beckett, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce to serving as a jazz hub in the 1950s (with Miles Davis often in attendance), the Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris has always lived up to its reputation as the only designated grand dame hotel on the “bohemian” Left Bank. Following a four-year renovation led by noted architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the Lutetia reopened in the summer of 2018 and joined the Mandarin Oriental hotel group in 2025.

Now, the original art nouveau–meets–art deco structure provides a backdrop for 184 elegant rooms and suites, each with dark wood paneling, handblown Murano glass, and Carrara marble. The seven signature suites, which include two penthouses, feature private balconies and 360-degree views of the city. Enjoy a drink in the chic Bar Josephine (named for actress and dancer Josephine Baker), then find sanctuary in the glass-roofed Le Saint-Germain salon and its adjacent courtyard. The 7,500-square-foot Akasha Spa has a pool, a state-of-the-art gym, and six treatment rooms where you can book an exclusive myBlend facial. Also worth noting: The hotel is certified by third-party sustainability assessor Green Globe for practices including in-room smart sensors for reduced electricity use and water flow reducers for showers and faucets. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris.—MWN

Maybourne Riviera

Courtesy of Maybourne Riviera

The Maybourne Hotel Group made a splash in 2021 when it unveiled its first French hotel, the Maybourne Riviera. The cliff-side location, close to 1,000 feet above Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, offers panoramic views of Monte Carlo, the Mediterranean, and the coastline curving into Italy. From every vantage point—the glass-enclosed restaurants, the infinity pool loungers, the suite terraces—the visual montage is on full display.

Maybourne tapped French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte to transform a vacant property into a modernist hangout filled with head-turning artwork. The 65 guest rooms and suites are done up in a contemporary style—the suites feature furnished terraces that seem to float between the sea and sky. The pièce de résistance is ABC Kitchens Riviera, an outpost of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s famed NYC restaurant, on the top floor.

In 2025, the hotel launched the Surrenne Riviera wellness and longevity club, following the 2024 debut of the Surrenne Belgravia in London. More than a spa, it offers advanced, science-backed therapies and personalized treatments focused on longevity. Also new: La Môme Riviera, the hotel’s seasonal beach club, nearby in Cap Martin. Read Afar’s full list of top French Riviera hotels.—MWN

The Peninsula Paris

Courtesy of the Peninsula Paris

For the arrival of The Peninsula in Europe in 2014, many millions of euros were lavished on an Avenue Kléber landmark a cobblestone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe. Born in the Belle Epoque as the Hotel Majestic, the historic property where George Gershwin wrote “An American in Paris” was transformed by the country’s finest artisans—including the company of tassel-makers who decorated the Paris Opéra.

The result is a paean to fine French craftsmanship in the marble-swathed public spaces and 200 guest rooms, including 93 suites kitted out with the high-tech gadgets for which the Peninsula is known. From the glass-walled L’Oiseau Blanc rooftop restaurant, the Paris views unspool in all directions. An equally dazzling way to see the city: an after-dark spin in the hotel’s green 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, available to all guests. The sprawling Peninsula Spa is one of the city’s most notable wellness spaces, with its 65-foot spa blending French beauty secrets with traditional Asian techniques (think plasma-collagen therapy and Thai massages). Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris. —MWN

Ritz Paris

Courtesy of the Ritz Paris

This luxurious institution on the Place Vendôme is the stuff of romance and urban legends. A line forms every night at the no-reservations Bar Hemingway, named for the larger-than-life author who claimed to have “liberated” it from German occupation. (In 1944, the hotel doubled as a Nazi headquarters, and Hemingway was among the soldiers who helped to reclaim it.). A no-expenses-spared restoration unveiled in 2016 restored the grande dame’s luster: The 142 guest rooms are decked out with empire furniture, floral silk fabrics, and marble fireplaces. The Ritz Club & Spa is the only Parisian wellness space offering treatments by the Swiss brand La Prairie.

At the Ritz Paris, the fashion crowd vie to bed down in the Coco Chanel Suite, decorated with velvet banquettes and Chinese lacquered screens to echo her apartment on nearby rue Cambon. (Chanel lived out her final decades at the hotel.) Culinary enthusiasts learn recipes at the Ritz Escoffier School, an homage to the culinary maestro who pioneered a new kind of hotel experience with César Ritz, aka “King of Hoteliers, and Hotelier to Kings.” (He was such a legend, he bequeathed the word “ritzy” to the dictionary.) Continue your culinary adventure at Espadon, where chef Eugénie Béziat creates dishes inspired by her childhood in Africa, or at the Salon Proust for the famous afternoon tea. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris with Eiffel Tower views.—MWN

Royal Champagne

Courtesy of the Royal Champagne

When the Royal Champagne first opened in summer 2018 amid the region’s UNESCO-listed vineyards, it was the first wellness-focused destination retreat in champagne country. The 16,000-square-foot spa is outfitted with two swimming pools, a sauna, and mosaic-tiled hammam and offers treatments using Clarins Precious and myBlend products. In July 2025, the launch of a new hair spa, in partnership with luxury haircare line Flora Lab Paris, further elevated the wellness offerings.

The setting is steeped in history: This was the site of a coaching inn where the kings of France used to overnight when traveling to their coronations at the Reims cathedral; in the 19th century, Napoleon frequently stayed here. Built into a hillside, the Royal Champagne incorporates the historic property into the contemporary resort, which features a series of landscaped terraces. You can also appreciate the endless vine views from your private terrace (each of the 47 guest rooms has one). The decor by in-demand designer Sybille de Margerie (connected to the Taittinger Champagne family) references Napoleon in bumble bee emblems and the gold leaf ceiling in Le Royal, the Michelin-starred restaurant.

Small details take hospitality to the next level here: One touch of the in-room “Champagne Please” button and you’ll have a bottle delivered to your room. There’s also a Guest Experience Maker Team who can arrange private cellar visits in champagne houses that aren’t usually open to the public, and e-bikes available for a spin through the vineyards.Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in France.—MWN

Saint James Paris

Courtesy of Saint James Paris

Only 20 minutes by car from Notre Dame, the Saint James Paris feels like another world: A stone-gated driveway opens onto a 19th-century private mansion that resembles a bucolic countryside estate. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, this family-owned hideaway in the 16th arrondissement is both a private members club and a boutique hotel. Some travelers book the hotel for access to the Guerlain Spa, with its Greco-Roman-inspired architecture, a serene pool, hammam and sauna, and three treatment rooms offering everything from deep-tissue massages to honey-infused facials.

The 50 guest rooms were renovated in 2021 by designer Laura Gonzalez in eclectic, mix-and-match styles to resemble a collector’s home. Next door, a private villa with four serviced apartments allows for extra privacy with full access to the hotel.

Locals appreciate the Old World vibe of the wood-paneled library bar, where the bartenders take their drinks seriously. Seasonal organic ingredients in the cocktails are cultivated in the hotel’s Fontainebleau vegetable garden, which also supplies the Michelin-starred Bellefeuille restaurant. Chef Grégory Garimbay’s deep connection to the land and commitment to sustainability are expressed not just in technical precision but also in joie de vivre on the plate. Read Afar’s full list of top independent and French-owned hotels in Paris.—MWN

Shangri-La Paris

Photo by VRX Studios/Marcelo Barbosa

For its first hotel in Europe, Shangri-La purchased an extraordinary piece of real estate and invested 180 million euros in its transformation. The former residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, Napoleon’s grandnephew, opened in 2010 as the 100-room Shangri-La Paris, complete with a spa and sun-dappled pool about 56 feet long.

It’s all crystal chandeliers, ornately carved fireplaces, painted frescos, and acres of marble at this bijou facing the Eiffel Tower. The terrace of the Suite Chaillot promises an unforgettable tête-à-tête with the monument, also visible from the tranquil garden where you can enjoy lobster tortellini at La Bauhinia restaurant.

Chi, the Spa is the hotel’s impressive wellness area, offering massages inspired by Balinese and Chinese traditions, while the Skin Studio offers cutting edge treatments including microneedling and hydrating facials. The 55-foot swimming pool, bathed in natural light and open to all guests, is an inviting alternative to an afternoon exploring the city.

The hotel’s Shang Palace was the first Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in France. Chengdu-born chef Tony Xu sources fine French ingredients such as Bresse poultry for creative takes on classics like lo hei. Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Paris with Eiffel Tower views.—MWN