I Stayed At Four Luxury Hotels With Prime Views Of Paris — Here’s What I Thought

Luxury Hotels  In addition to the gorgeous lobby, amazing restaurant, and prime location, the InterContinental was my favorite overnight because I got Palais Garnier views from everywhere in my room — my bed, the bathroom, a comfy corner chair where I took meetings, our terrace, etc. The Opera house was truly so close that we felt we could reach out and touch it, and being able to stare at it during sunrise was truly special.

A caveat that I still absolutely recommend the other three hotels, but the InterContinental Paris Le Grand was just my personal favorite.

There’s something wonderfully intimate about having a hotel room with a view.

a view of egypt

AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed
When you visit any tourist attraction, a bit of the magic gets lost when you’re being elbowed out of the way by strangers.

I went to Egypt in January, I splurged on a room with a pyramid view at the Marriott Mena House, and the experience spoiled me a bit. My favorite memory throughout the entirety of that eight-day trip was having this special moment of looking at the pyramids, all to myself, with no one around.

So on a recent four-night trip to Paris, I intentionally spent a night at four different properties that would give me a bird’s eye view of the most iconic landmarks the city has to offer.

The landmarks in question? The Palais Garnier, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs-Élysées. I wanted the experience of having these places all to myself. Sort of.

Scroll below for the full recap on where I stayed, what I thought, and which was my favorite.

(The picture above take at Girafe Restaurant. I highly recommend it, but be sure to make reservations at least two weeks in advance.)

First and foremost:

Add InterContinental Paris Le Grand to your bucket list if you’d like to step into a world plucked out of a Wes Anderson film. As soon as your dirty sneaker passes the entrance threshold, the feeling of being transported to Paris in a different decade will be strong. This five-star hotel contains artwork in ornate gold frames, plush velvet furniture, and expansive windows that serve main character energy, plus delicious oysters and French onion soup await at Café de la Paix! It’s an iconic restaurant that’s been operating since 1862. I’ve seen it splashed across several “where to eat in Paris” articles which, to be honest, made me wary — but the food was genuinely incredible and the space (high ceilings, intricate paint) was just as gorgeous in person.

 

The view: Palais Garnier Luxury Hotels

When you close your eyes and think of Paris, it’s the Eiffel Tower that comes to mind — and naturally, you’ll feel inclined to go for a hotel that matches that vision. But lean in because I have a secret: the view I had of the Palais Garnier was my favorite in Paris. I stayed in a junior suite in which both the bathroom and bedroom was so close to the Opera House that I felt like I could reach out and touch it. And when I woke up at 6am due to jet lag, I put on a robe, made coffee, stood outside on the terrace, and it felt like magic.

Prices starting at: $364+