When it comes to hotels, five-star status is impressive, but in France, there is an even more elite level: 'Palace'. This ultra-exclusive list has been expanded for the first time in seven years, with six new properties awarded the prestigious classification.
What is the 'Palace' Label?
The 'Palace' label sits above France's standard five-star rating and is awarded by the French Ministry of Tourism to a handful of hotels representing the highest pinnacle of French luxury and hospitality. More than just places to stay, these hotels are destinations that blend world-class service, beautiful design, incredible food, and deep cultural roots. The label was introduced in 2010 to celebrate the crème de la crème of French hotels that lacked a formal classification beyond five stars.
During a ceremony in Paris on 2 June, it was announced that 27 hotels maintained their coveted rating, four were stripped of it, and six achieved 'Palace' status for the first time. Three of the new additions are in the capital.
The Six New Palace Hotels
Bvlgari Hotel Paris
Located on Avenue George V in the heart of the exclusive 'golden triangle', Bvlgari Hotel Paris pairs timeless glamour with contemporary design. It boasts just 76 rooms and suites, with nightly rates up to £1,500. For around £30,000 per night, guests can book the 10,000 square-foot penthouse, which features a private cigar cellar, hammam, fitness room, and a landscaped hanging garden with 360-degree views of the Eiffel Tower. The spa includes a 25-metre swimming pool decorated with emerald, jade, and malachite mosaics. The onsite restaurant, curated by three-Michelin-star Italian chef Niko Romito, serves classic Italian dishes with a modern twist. Pets are welcomed with bespoke amenities like winter wool and summer linen dog beds. Transfers are provided via Maserati.
Hôtel Fouquet's Paris
Situated at the corner of the Champs-Élysées and Avenue George V, Hôtel Fouquet's Paris combines elegant 1920s Art Deco interiors with a rich heritage in aviation and French cinema. The prestigious César Awards are held at Fouquet's brasserie, a mecca for film icons since the 1930s. The hotel features 101 rooms and suites, many with views of the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. Nightly rates start at £740 for a Superior Room, while Premium suites can exceed £2,000. Most suites and rooms come with a personalised butler service. Guests can relax in Le Joy, a secret indoor garden with a bar and restaurant serving seasonal French cuisine. The spa offers a 15-metre heated indoor pool, hammam with a star ceiling, and an ice room with a real ice wall. The hotel is pet-friendly, gifting furry companions a personally embroidered blanket on their first stay.
Cheval Blanc Paris
Set along the River Seine in the 1st Arrondissement, Cheval Blanc Paris integrates into the iconic La Samaritaine department store facing the Pont Neuf. This LVMH flagship offers 72 rooms, 46 of which are suites, with nightly rates from £1,800 to over £11,000. The 10,780 sq ft penthouse, named The Apartment, can cost up to £39,000 per night. Every guest has a round-the-clock personal butler. Bathrooms are clad in marble with spacious bathtubs, private hammam steam rooms, and bespoke products from Maison Dior. The Dior Spa Cheval Blanc, designed by Peter Marino, features semi-precious stone therapies and robes cinched at the waist reflecting Dior's classic dresses. A 100ft indoor swimming pool sits at the exact water level of the Seine, with mirrored ceilings and video projections creating the illusion of swimming along the riverbank.
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, Champagne
Built around a 19th-century coaching inn on the edge of Épernay, the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa has deep historic roots. It hosted French kings on their way to coronations in Reims, and Napoleon Bonaparte regularly visited. All 47 rooms feature custom linens, natural oak and stone, bedside meditation boxes, and private terraces with panoramic vineyard views. Nightly rates range from £550 to £1,500. The Destination Spa spans 16,000 sq ft and is the region's first destination wellness centre. Guests can swim in a 25-metre indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows or an outdoor infinity pool surrounded by grapevines. A bespoke Hair Spa offers targeted micro peptide treatments and skincare from Biologique Recherche.
Hôtel Martinez, Cannes
Renowned as one of the world's most glamorous properties, Hôtel Martinez blends 1920s Art Deco architecture with deep Hollywood roots. It is home to one of the most expensive penthouses in Europe, averaging £39,411 per night. The penthouse is split into two vast suites named after French cinema icons Thierry Frémaux and Isabelle Huppert. The hotel serves as a key hub during the Cannes Film Festival, hosting celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Willis, Bella Hadid, and Naomi Campbell. The Michelin-starred restaurant La Palme d'Or offers seafood-inspired cuisine. At L'Oasis du Martinez, guests can enjoy an award-winning botanical garden and pool retreat with an Yves Klein-blue swimming pool.
Four Seasons Hotel Megève, the French Alps
Nestled in the French Alps, Four Seasons Hotel Megève is an alpine retreat that offers direct access to the Mont d'Arbois slopes on skis. Created in collaboration with Baroness Edmond de Rothschild, it blends contemporary design with fine art from the family's private collection. There are 55 accommodations, with standard rooms priced between £500 and £700 per night, and larger suites from £2,500 to £5,000. The Suite Idéal is a chalet at the top of Mont d'Arbois accessible only by ski lift or snowmobile. Each room offers a dedicated concierge and ski room service with boot warming and ski waxing. Dining options include Epicurean cuisine at La Dame de Pic – Le 1920 and sushi at Kaito, Megève's first Japanese restaurant. The hotel has the biggest spa in the French Alps, a 900-metre area with indoor and outdoor pools featuring massage jets and underwater music.
With these additions, the total number of Palace hotels in France now stands at 33, including properties in Paris, the Alps, the South of France, South West, Eastern France, and overseas territories.
