Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal
"Kick us off: What can you tell us about this place?Palais Royal (and its gardens) is my favorite place, in Paris—and this is both the only hotel nearby and the only one with views directly on the gardens. All to say—of course I thought I'd love it. And I wasn't wrong. Though the 'Grand' in its name might lead some to expect a 200-room behemoth, the 57 rooms and 11 suites are, in fact, managed more like they're part of a family-owned boutique property. It feels like a series of apartments, complete with elegant, understated design schemes: just enough space to feel like you're at home, and plenty of reading material, from newspapers to art books, in common areas. It sounds so intimate. Who's staying here?Families and young couples. Got it. Now, onto the good stuff: Tell us about the digs.Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed, warm color tones, from light wood to chocolate and light greens and powdery pinks. Materials are a mix of velvet, leather, and silk. It looked and felt like spring in a room. Lovely! And, please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down—what can we expect?Diptyque products, a very nice touch. Though the brand is also present in NYC, it's French through and through. Excellent. Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?Free wifi! Great! Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.The awkwardly-named Le Café 52 Paris 1er (a mouthful) is a more recent all-day dining restaurant and bar with outdoor seating available during the warmer months and a calm backdrop year round. The modest on-site spa now features treatments in collaboration with the Parisian beauty brand Holidermie, known for its rituals combining cosmetic treatments, nutritional supplements with active ingredients, and mindfulness self-massage protocols. Perfect. What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?The location truly can't be beat and makes any visit memorable. Not only that, but the hotel is luxurious without being in-your-face about it. It's what you might call entry-level luxury—it has all the right design cues, but without the marquee chef or spa products. Instead, it relies on the quality and comfort of its rooms and rightfully so. Got it. So, bottom line: worth it, and why?It's affordable luxury in one of the very best locations in the city. The comfort and space afforded by even the most basic room far surpasses what you're likely to get in even the nicest boutique properties." - Lindsey Tramuta
