Paris: Where to Stay: Luxury: Fouquet's Barrière

Fouquet's Barrière

Revamping illustrious palace properties is nothing new for the Lucien Barrière group—they also own the Majestic in Cannes and the Grand Hotel in Dinard, Brittany—but at the Fouquet’s Barriere hotel in Paris, the company set out to establish an unprecedented level of design, luxury and service. And for the most part, it succeeds.

Legendary designer Jacques Garcia was given carte blanche here—well, almost, since, according to one staffer, he was barred from using his signature crimson, with which he so memorably decked out the Hôtel Costes. Still, his vivid style—fin-de-siècle boudoir meets mod chic—is unmistakable and dominates throughout: there are monochromatic black-and-white marble floors in the lobby, presided over by dramatically oversized golden fauteuils with asymmetrical backs. The buzzy Lucien lounge is decorated like a living room with green- and purple-velvet sofas, fabric-clad ceilings and large bookcases stocked with art and fashion titles. Walls are covered in embroidered leather and illuminated by chandeliers made with dangling glass pendants. In the hands of a lesser talent, the variety of textures, patterns and materials would surely feel overwhelming, but Garcia manages to pull it all together into a masterful vision that’s opulent and playful at the same time.

The 107 guest rooms are comfortably sized—the smallest category clocks in at 375 square feet—and boast a myriad of high-tech toys, including LCD screens that are hidden in oversized mirror walls, movement-sensitive lights in the walk-in closets and, of course WiFi throughout. All the design details are top-notch: fabrics, including heavy textured curtains and velvet-covered chairs, hail from Pierre Frey and Rubelli; bed boards are made of thick, gold-colored leather; bathrooms are clad in colored marble and come with deep soaking tubs and floor heating. The contemporary, sleek design scheme is not for everyone; if you’re looking for a more classic French style, you’ll probably be happier at the Four Seasons George V and Plaza Athénée down the street.

Each floor at Fouquet’s is assigned a personal butler, who can assist with everything from restaurant reservations and packing luggage to arranging special surprises (like birthday cakes) and making arrangements at the U Spa. Housed in the romantic, vaulted cellars of Fouquet’s, the spa area has seven treatments rooms and a large heated swimming pool (both are only open to guests). Occasionally, the hotel’s deliciously decadent ambience crosses the line and becomes simple folly: a chocolate éclair during tea time at Lucien cost €16 (approximately $25), an inexcusable mark-up, especially considering that Ladurée’s Champs-Élysée outpost is literally two blocks away.

Don’t miss having a coffee or drink at the adjacent Fouquet’s, a legendary brasserie founded in 1899 (a favorite of Marlene Dietrich, Jackie O. and Catherine Deneuve throughout the years), where the annual after-party for the César film awards take place. Its terrace, near the top of the Champs-Élysée, must be one of the best people-watching spots in all of Paris. Rooms from €690 ($1075).