"Facing the Tuileries Gardens, I appreciate how Le Meurice frames Paris like a painting: the Belle Etoile suite’s landscaped terrace offers views of 18 monuments and has served as a film set, while sixth-floor rooms such as No. 605 open onto Juliet balconies with cinematic panoramas and hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper. Steeped in cultural history (Salvador Dalí lived here seasonally and Pablo Picasso celebrated his wedding in the gilded ballroom), the hotel blends grand 18th-century interiors with contemporary art. Dining and leisure are storied as well — Alain Ducasse oversees the signature restaurant, the Valmont spa delivers Swiss-precision pampering, and Bar 228, rich in wood paneling and lore, is famed for pouring the city’s best martini." - Mary Winston Nicklin, Lindsey Tramuta