Elite Traveler November-December 2015

EXPLORE PARIS

STAY

From left to right: View from Suite Les Bains' roof terrace; concierge desk; new suite, all Les Bains Paris; Carla Bruni and Naomi Campbell; Nadja Auermann and Madonna; Catherine Deneuve and Karl Lagerfeld; Iman and David Bowie, all at Les Bains in the 1990s

JUST OPENED Les Bains Paris What a brilliant idea, to reincarnate one of the coolest nightclubs of the 1980s as a hotel, restaurant and members’ club. This way, Les Bains gets to retain the aura of its glamorous heyday (the 1978 design was by a young Philippe Starck, and its all-star dance floor cast included Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Grace Jones and all the supermodels, from Carla Bruni to Naomi Campbell) without having to live up to an impossible dream. Owner Jean-Pierre Marois hired Denis Montel, best known for his Hermès portfolio, to create the moody bar and restaurant, and Tristan Auer, also hard at work on Hôtel de Crillon's grand reopening, to design the 39 bedrooms. These are sleek and arty, with mahogany and Carrara marble bathrooms and Le Labo products. The 861 sq ft Suite Les Bains also has a living room, a kitchen and a 345 sq ft terrace. The spa should be a treat, echoing the Turkish baths on this site that were frequented by Manet, Zola and Proust during the 1800s. From $3,250 per night lesbains-paris.com

TOP SUITES Where to relax and slumber in style

1 BELLE ETOILE SUITE Le Meurice For 19th century style and 360-degree views over Paris, book the two-story Belle Etoile suite at Le Meurice. Guests of the 3,000 sq ft suite have included Salvador Dalí, and more recently, Beyoncé and Jay Z. And it's easy to see why – it

2 PRESIDENTIAL SUITES Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris The three Presidential Suites at Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris are very private and plush, not to mention gigantic, at over 3,000 sq ft each. The suites are all adorned with hand-crafted Philippe Starck furniture. Guests have unlimited access to the Spa My Blend by Clarins, plus a private in-suite hammam and gym, as well as a home cinema to boot. From $28,000 leroyalmonceau.com

3 GRAND PALAIS SUITE La Réserve Paris Designed by Jacques Garcia with herringbone parquet and antique furniture, the Grand Palais suite at the newly opened La Réserve Paris has two sitting rooms, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, both in gray Carrara marble, with silver-sided freestanding baths, plus a large bar area stocked with old-fashioned candy, fine wines and cocktail mixing equipment. From $9,000 lareserve-paris.com

4 PENINSULA SUITE Peninsula Paris This is a hotel where every keyhole escutcheon demonstrates care and craft – and it is home to the biggest one-bedroom suite in the whole city, which measures a whopping 3,423 sq ft. It comes with a grand piano and a chauffeur-driven Mini Cooper, a dining room with space for eight, a separate office and the option for two further connecting rooms if you've a larger party. From $29,000 paris.peninsula.com

boasts a 2,700 sq ft panoramic terrace, a sitting room, dining

room, marble bathroom, 269 sq ft walk-in closet and private elevator. From $20,000 dorchestercollection.com