Stay at the Palace: La Réserve Hotel Spa, Paris review
Paris' La Réserve Hotel and Spa elevates luxury to a whole new realm of excellence
La Réserve Hotel and Spa in Paris specialises 'pinch me' moments. For one it's an actual listed palace, a distinction first introduced by the French Minister of Tourism in 2010 and awarded only to five-star hotels with exceptional qualities. In fact, there are only 24 'hotel palaces' in the whole of France – the Riviera's Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc features on this prestigious list, as well as Paris' Four Seasons Hotel George V, both grande dames of the hotel world.
La Réserve is a little different, however: for one, there only 40 suites to choose from (the word 'room' is redundant here given the stateliness of the decor) which means that attention to detail is extreme. Situated near the Champs-Élysées, mid-way between Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne, La Réserve could be mistaken for a private hôtel particulier were it not for its majestic red entrance and bowler-hatted doormen.
The magic starts as soon as you step inside: instead of a reception area, guests are guided to a plush Belle Epoque-inspired salon complete with marble floors, sumptuous red sofas, ornate Empire-style furniture and walls dressed in silk damask wallpaper with crowning golden cornices. (Incidentally, even the elevator is costumed in specially selected damascene brocade fabric.) The centrepiece of this salon is a disproportionally large vase filled with a firework of flowers that perfume the room with the most delicious scent. As such, there's an immediate sensory immersion into high-impact luxury – a signature of interior design legend Jacques Garcia whose handiwork is on display here – that transports guests to another world, far away from the hooting and tooting chaos of central Paris.
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From the salon, guests are taken straight upstairs: La Réserve follows the unusual and pleasingly sophisticated practice of checking in all guests from within their suites, all of which are bathed in light – some overlook the hotel's leafy square courtyard with the Eiffel Tower and glass-domed Grand Palais in the distance, while others are pointed towards the Concorde obelisk and the Pantheon with a ground floor that spills into the Jardin des Champs-Élysées, a rare and tranquil patch of greenery designed by Le Notre in the late 17th century.
Each of the suites is unique, though all are serviced by private butler – and, as expected, your every wish is their command be it a travel request, shopping order, an exclusive reservation, and much more besides. The suites are a testament to Garcia's exacting eye for detail and richly layered sensibility, an aesthetic that has made him famous the world over as an interior design virtuoso. Everything is ultra-crisp, serene and telling of the kind of high prestige housekeeping that requires years of training (perfect symmetry throughout with not so much as a cotton bud out of place), while the decor honours the history of the building with interiors designed to look like aristocratic apartments of a bygone age.
Each suite has its own style, some more ornate than others, but all play with this idea of regal luxury, one that pivots the area between decorative opulence and tailored elegance with the inclusion of authentic Napoleon III furniture, herringbone oak parquet floors, richly coloured upholstery - from sink-in velvets and silky brocades to cashmere throws and feather-soft linens – as well as antique curios and original modernist artworks. And let's not forget the spectacular bathrooms which are also bathed in natural light, clad in luxurious Carrara marble and full of whimsical flourishes. For example, sink-side accessories include a specially designed Jacques Garcia red lacquered wooden box for guests to store their toiletries and a dinky silver elephant ornament whose trunk serves as a ring holder.
The mini bar – always set aside in its own pretty alcove with mirrored shelves – is generously stocked with Fouquet chocolate, artisanal juices and haut de gamme snacks, all of which are included in the price of the room (some suites also include specialist spirits too).
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An exploration around the hotel will lead you to the hotel's lavish basement spa with design accents in gold and red, complete with 24-hour pool and gym.
On the ground floor, you can also lounge in the library – an oaky/regal green oasis of calm to contrast with the salon's vermilion hues, reserved exclusively for hotel guests until cocktail hour. Here you'll find floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stacked with late 19th century/early 20th century publications as well as two secret 'offshoot' rooms: an honesty bar filled with specialist decanted brandies, whiskies and cognacs, and a plush cigar room which rolls out on to its own private garden.
Adjacent to the library is where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. La Pagode de Cos – a red velveteen spot that is half-way between a patrician brasserie and a luxurious tea room - is the first of La Réserve's two world-class restaurants, both overseen by double star Michelin chef Jérôme Banctel who is known for his contemporary spin on French gastronomic cuisine accented with exotic, and especially Japanese, influences. The hotel's more exclusive Le Gabriel offers a bijoux Michelin-starred dining experience - of note is its highly praised seven course vegetarian tasting menu (also available as a vegan option) which sets it apart from other starry 'grandes tables' in Paris, proving that no stone is left unturned at this delightful petit palace which reigns supreme when it comes to the finer details of top notch luxury.
Prestige rooms start at €1,150 per night including breakfast. For more information and to book hotel and restaurants, visit www.lareserve-paris.com
Eurostar operates up to 19 daily services from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare Du Nord with one-way Business Premier fares costing £245; one-way economy fares cost from £29 based on a return journey. The fastest London-Paris journey time is 2hr 15 minutes (eurostar.com; 03432 186 186).
Alexandra Zagalsky is a London-based journalist specialising in luxury, art and travel. She began her career working on a cultural guide for English-speaking expats in Paris, where her first major break was an interview with Lionel Poilâne, the late baker of Saint-Germain-des-Prés famed for his signature sourdough loaves. Returning to London in her early 20s, she went on to write for not only The Week but also The Art Newspaper’s Art of Luxury supplement, The Telegraph and The Times, as well as art and design platforms including 1stDibs’ Introspective Magazine and the magazines of the V&A, Sotheby’s and Christie’s. She studied fine art and art history at Goldsmiths, University of London and continues to explore travel journalism through the lens of art, craftsmanship and culture.