Cheval Blanc Paris

As the flagship of luxury collective LVMH’s hotel group, Cheval Blanc is the ultimate 21^st century expression of French indulgence and the city’s first hotel with direct views on to the Seine river.

• The guest rooms’ floor-to-ceiling windows with views overlooking the Seine, Ile de la Cité and the Left Bank
• The rooftop views over Paris from Langosteria, the outpost from Milan with delicious Italian food
• The underground swimming pool with its video of the Seine, so you feel as if you are swimming in the river just outside

Cheval Blanc Loves

The flagship of Cheval Blanc hotels and LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault’s passion project, this riverfront property was conceived of as an update to Parisian palatial living. Instead of opulent 18^th century silk swaddled furniture, Cheval Blanc wows with modern art and hand-crafted finishes. As soon as you enter the lobby with its monumental works by Vik Muniz and Georges Mathieu flanked by panels of gold and bronze threadwork, it is clear that a fortune has been spent.

The atmosphere oozes glamour, and there are winks at the stable of LVMH brands from the Frank Gehry sculpture of a white horse in the lobby (an ode to the Cheval Blanc Premier Grand Cru wine) to the Dior spa and bespoke staff uniforms designed by Patou’s creative director Guillaume Henry.

The Cheval Blanc concept was not to compete with the Paris’s palace hotels, but to invite visitors into a residence of the utmost refinement, that of a supremely wealthy, sophisticated Parisian collector with the finest taste in everything from wine to bath products. Star American architect Pater Marino has designed every inch of the building with the same fanatic attention as he would apply to a private residence for one of his billionaire clients. All of the 72 guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling bay windows facing the Seine with incredible panoramic views from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. To cater to the choosiest of visitors, there are almost twice as many suites as there are regular rooms. Marino’s fastidious design details are as dazzling as the view outside: hand-textured walls, silk and mohair pillows, a safe lined in suede, hefty wooden hangers in the wood paneled closets and custom bath amenities from the world’s best scent masters. In all, more than 600 French artists, from weavers and ceramicists, created custom pieces in exquisite materials for the project—a fact that becomes less surprising considering Bernard Arnault’s involvement. The co-founder and CEO of LVMH—whose consortium includes Dom Perignon, Dior and Guerlain—is also art-obsessed. (The Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois du Boulogne was another of his passion projects.)

On the ground floor, a curving limestone stairway leads down to the spa, health club and 100-foot underground swimming pool that has white marble walls and a giant video screen by Franco-­Israeli artist Yorame Mevorach showing the Seine. Whether you imagine that you are swimming in art, history or the water in the view outside, it will be a memorable dip. On the top floor, in the Quintessence suite, which rents for more than $50,000 a night and has four bedrooms and its own private swimming pool, a staircase by artists Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne leads to a rooftop terrace with 360-degree views.

The restaurants on property include two rooftop options, the all-day brasserie Le Tout Paris and Langosteria, both with spectacular views of across the city. On the second floor, the gourmet, three-Michelin-starred Plénitude, has become one of the toughest reservations to get in Paris, with just 26 seats. And while the slightly scruffy neighborhood doesn’t boast a concentration of luxury shops, Samaritaine, the historic department store, which reopened in 2021 after a multiyear renovation, sits right next door. Its restored art nouveau interiors now house luxury labels galore.

Indagare tip: Be aware that the windows are not privacy glazed, and the staff does not mention that at check-in, so if you are assuming that you can see out but those on the street cannot see in, you would be wrong. The views are two-way!

Anyone who wants to experience what the fuss is about, because Cheval Blanc has been the topic of fascination for months and the place for the super-chic to be seen. But service has been quite hit or miss thus far, so sticklers for a totally seamless experience may want to give it more time.

While the décor is impressive and French made, if you were to close the blinds, you could be in a fancy hotel in any city in the world. The rooms don’t scream France, the way those at Le Bristol or the Ritz do. So quite a few of our members have tried it once, but are returning to their old favorites