Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris

I dream of this place on dreary days. It was January last year, whilst I was in Paris for another round of Maison et Objet, it was my job to go undercover for the night & report back to Discover&Deliver what I thought of this hotel. Located on av. Hoche , just steps away from the Champs-Elysées & the Arc de Triomphe. There is no comparison, & I’ve been travelling frequently over the past few years. From the service and attention to detail on first arriving into the lobby, to the hot chocolate I was served, the pool attendant who did laps with me in the morning trying to offer me some goggles (blind with water in my eyes I wandered why he was pacing lengths with me) to the most heavenly bathroom products I’ve ever seen (hotel branded). This place all round rocks. But you pay for it.

The hotel amenities are first class, with two restaurants, La Cuisine and Il Carpaccio, & Nobu has taken up residence for the winter. Le Bar Long is a great place to people watch, there is a terraced garden, a private recording studio, a Cigar Club – The Viñales Club, The Spa My Blend by Clarins, a concept store – Le Royal Eclaireur, and a cinema The Katara. There is also an Art Concierge. Probably the only hotel in the world with a dedicated art consultant who keeps the guests up to date with current news, or if you request in advance, a tailor-made plan can be made for you, with private access to some of the cities best galleries. You can keep up to date with their blog Art For Breakfast. Lets talk bedrooms, the hotel accomodates 85 rooms, 61 suites and 3 apartments. Within those numbers there are 13 different options, from a Studio Room (still heavenly) to 7 different suites, and 3 Presidential Suites. Each with their own design details, all however with the now iconic mirrored bathroom. 

It’s all very Starck here. From the restaurant bar stools, Starck for Emeco, to the leather sofas in the suites, Starck for Cassina. He’s successfully completed his desire to create almost a home from home (for the elite/movie star who can afford the mega rates), a giant mansion or apartment where you might take up residence all with the added bonus of a five star hotel. Each room has been designed exactly like a master bedroom should be, warm colours, exclusive designer furniture, with all the home comforts that you would wish for your own home. Every detail has been thought of. Robust but luxurious materials, heavenly layers of linen under a silk eiderdown, bedside lamps with the perfect amount of glow at night, a remote that works the entire room, & stationary close to your bedside for those night time scribbles. I stayed in the room below. With a TV hidden in the mirror in front of the bed, you can see a child’s scribbles on the bedside lampshades. These are scribbles courtesy of Starck’s daughter, designing is a family affair in his studio. The leather sofa above is by Cassina, & the Pipistrello table light is by Martinelli Luce. Both available at Discover&Deliver. The Lou Reed leather chairs (below left image underneath picture light) was a collaborative design by Starck & Eugeni Quitlet in 2011 exclusively for the hotel.

The spa is a magical place. As Le Royal Monceau – Raffles say ‘A temple of wellbeing and contemporary beauty’. With the first My Blend by Clarins, a dedicated Clarins spa with brand new treatments, and the largest pool in Paris. There is a hammam, laconium room and sauna, with dedicated fitness coaches who can tailor fitness plans to your schedule. The penthouses also have their own fitness suite. I had the most amazing Sunday morning here all to myself before a friend joined me for brunch in the artistically decorated restaurant, La Cuisine. This is a stunningly beautiful hotel, and one that is featured on Discover&Deliver. If you are interested in any design pieces, click here.