What
This 40-room “urban mansion” opened its shiny, lipstick-red doors last month in the fashionable eighth arrondissement, just around the corner from the boutique-lined rue du Faubourg St-Honoré. The Haussmann-style property evokes a bygone era, with Belle Époque-style interiors — rich red and purple velvets, damasks, brocades and silks — that ooze opulence. The small spa uses the Swiss brand Nescens for treatments and there’s also a rare (for Paris) 52-foot heated indoor pool.
Why
Because La Réserve is privately owned (by Michel Reybier, who also has luxury properties in Geneva and St. Tropez, as well as a wine label), it feels more like a residence than a hotel — albeit one belonging to a very wealthy, very elegant Frenchman. Check-in takes place in the plush Grand Salon (no “lobby” here) and the common areas — the library with woodburning fireplace, the smoking lounge with outdoor patio — reveal themselves only by opening a series of doors. Accommodations — 26 suites (four presidential) and 14 rooms — are as beautifully and carefully decorated as the rest of the hotel, with luxe fabrics and one-of-a-kind antiques.
Working Well
While the decor might feel like a throwback, the hotel fully embraces 21st-century technology, with tablets in each guestroom controlling the lights, temperature and TV — as well as allowing you to communicate with the staff. A mini charging station — with adapters for iPhones, Androids and more — is conveniently located (and smartly hidden) in bedside tables. What’s not hidden are extra charges: The WiFi and international phone calls are free, as is the mini-bar (excepting the wine).
Must Try
The hotel’s restaurant, Le Gabriel, which serves chef Jérôme Banctel’s seasonal contemporary French cuisine in a formal setting. Follow up with a clandestine, late-night drink next door at the cozy mirrored bar.
Don’t Miss
Details
From $815; lareserve-paris.com