"After sitting empty for decades, a former 1908 hotel has been transformed into the first Parisian outpost for the Hong Kong-based Peninsula brand—and one of Paris’s newest Palace-grade hotels. Four years of work by a stable of skilled artisans has resulted in airy, refined public spaces, where a muted cream palette is accented by restored original wood, decorative stone work, and 40,000 pieces of gold leaf. And with six in-house dining venues, you hardly have the venture out: Standouts include LiLi, serving Cantonese cuisine (including a range of dim sum); the sixth-floor L’Oiseau Blanc, a two-Michelin-star indoor/outdoor French restaurant themed around the early days of aviation; and Le Bar Kléber, where original 1908 oak paneling, oversized mirrors, and terrace views set a sexy scene for cocktails." - Sandra Ramani, Lindsey Tramuta