.jpeg?width=1200&auto=webp&crop=3%3A2)
It’s a universal symbol for romance, history, and one of the greatest cities in the world, so when you go to Paris, you want to get a good long look at the Eiffel Tower. Maybe you take a long meander along the Seine and drink in the views from nearby Champ de Mars park. Maybe you splash out on a restaurant that overlooks it. Maybe you see it fleetingly from your Uber window on the way back to Gare du Nord.
But by far the most magical way to take in the landmark is to see it throughout the day and night from your bedroom window. And by far the best place to make that surreal dream a reality is at Shangri-La Paris. Located across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower in the 16th arrondissement, the hotel offers views that blow the city’s other five-star grande dames out of the water. The position comes at a premium, of course, but a worldly elegance and service that is never short of impeccable make it worth it.
The rooms
-HERO.jpeg)
It’s worth blowing the budget on an Eiffel Tower view room (or, even better, suite) here. The proximity is pretty gobsmacking, and La Tour makes for an extraordinary backdrop to a stay. You can glimpse it while soaking in the bath, spy it sparkling on the hour after dark, and perhaps even view it from bed with a café au lait (or coupe de champagne).
This hotel has royal blood, having been built as a palace for Napoleon’s grandnephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte, in 1896. The interiors maintain the regal quality, blending Asian and European styles with dramatic drapery, plush carpets, silk-threaded wallpaper, gilt chairs, a staggering amount of marble — everything you’d expect from a prince’s former residence turned Shangri-La outpost.
There are also nice nods to his work as a geographer and botanist (spot the botanical prints in the lifts), especially fitting as the palace was once the world’s largest private herbarium, housing more than 2.5million plant species.
The food & drinks
.jpeg)
The hotel is known as the home to one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city, Shang Palace. But the hotel’s buzzy new opening, Les Salons du Prince, has also just been unveiled. It’s set within the listed salons on the ground floor and brings Bridgerton-esque elegance to Paris via the Shangri-La (think period woodwork, ornate tapestries and 19th-century artworks). The menu is far from stuffy, however; crisp chicken nuggets are served with caviar, the club sandwich comes crustless, and the dim sum is unsurprisingly good. Tucked away at the back of the hotel is Le Bar Botaniste, which was designed to resemble a Napoleonic tent with striped wallpaper and serves faultless cocktails to a well-heeled crowd.
The to-do list
.jpeg)
You’re within easy reach of all of Paris, so the city is your oyster. Perhaps the most compelling way to make the most out of a trip here is with Shangri-La’s dual-city trip between London and Paris, staying at Shangri-La The Shard and Shangri-La Paris and travelling seamlessly (and in style) between the two on the Eurostar. More on which below.
How to get there
One of the best things about travelling to Paris from London is that you can travel there on the Eurostar. There are so many things to love about this high-speed, low-stress route, especially if you’ve gone for Eurostar Premier, the train’s first-class option.
Premier means blink-and-you-miss-it fast check-in and access to luxe lounges at St Pancras and Gare du Nord, as well as roomy seats and a three-course meal on board. This is not your average train catering, instead, it’s a seasonally shifting menu curated by two Michelin-starred chef Jérémy Chan and renowned pastry chef Jessica Préalpato. The wine list is also a highlight, and free-flowing champagne makes the swift two-ish-hour journey go by all too quickly.
