The Shangri-La hotel group are one of my favourites. Every hotel you stay in has the same signature scent, and every hotel has the same signature service. I first stayed in a Shangri-La when I was 7 years old, and ever since then they have been my go-to whenever I’m in Asia, so it was an unusual change to stay in such a historic and stereotypically European property in Paris recently, as the Shangri-La Paris is housed within an old mansion on Avenue d’lena. Despite the building being the total opposite of Shangri-La’s usual properties, the familiar welcoming scent of is enough to instantly remind you who you are staying with as soon as you step through the front door. Coupled with the staff taking our luggage and helping us settle in to a comfortable lounge room to relax with coffee and patisseries for the check-in process, we knew we had arrived home.
The Rooms at Shangri-La Paris
The mansion was originally built for Prince Roland Bonaparte in 1899, and was restored to its former glory and opened by Shangri-La as a 101 room hotel in 2010. Through the pain-staking restoration process they have kept many of the original features, including an impressive staircase, stained glass window, and they even display an old street lamp in a small alcove.
The location is without a doubt the key selling point, as many of the rooms and suites enjoy views of the Eiffel Tower, although if you do book an Eiffel Tower view room, do specifically request one of the old-style bedrooms. We unfortunately had one of the modern bedrooms which takes away from the beauty and style of the hotel. When you stay in a historic hotel many do so because they want want to be surrounded by the history and features that make it so special (namely those high ceilings and beautiful big windows), and having a modern room made us feel as though we weren’t getting the ‘full’ historic experience.
However, despite the unfortunate room choice, the view was spectacular, and we were lucky enough to have the view from the bathroom as well as the bedroom. There aren’t many – if any – other hotels in Paris that can promise you an uninterrupted view of the Eiffel Tower from the bath tub, and watching it glittering at night was just magical and a view I will never forget.
Like with all Shangri-La hotels a plethora of amenities are provided in the bathroom, including razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, sewing kits, cotton tips, cotton pads, and more.
A traditional terrace duplex bedroom at Shangri-La Paris
Dining at Shangri-La Paris
Breakfast is a sumptuous affair with a wide variety of pastries, breads, yoghurts, cheeses, meats, fruit, nuts, seeds, salad items, and even dim sum. There are also a-la-carte options should you wish, and we thoroughly enjoyed the omelettes cooked to perfection, and the french toast with maple syrup.
The Shangri-La Paris is also home to Michelin-starred Shang Palace, an excellent Chinese restaurant where we dined one evening. It was my first experience of Chinese food in France, and I was blown away by the mouthwatering array of dishes presented to us. If you dine here the Roasted whole Peking duck is a must, as well as the Red-rice flour rolls with shrimp, and Fried eggplant glazed with gravy, sesame, and ginger.
Spa & Service at Shangri-La Paris
The hotel features a colonnaded swimming pool in what used to be the mansion’s stable block, but these days it’s all glamour over dust. As well as the large pool there is also saunas in the changing rooms, and a spa offering Carita spa treatments. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the spa and found the swimming pool and sauna the perfect way to unwind after a long day of pounding the Parisian avenues.
As with all Shangri-La’s, the service was outstanding and the best I have ever experienced in Paris. The doormen were so genuinely warm and welcoming each morning and evening when we departed and arrived at the hotel, and everyone else we came across could not do enough for us.
Shangri-La Paris’s Magnificent Swimming Pool
A Parisian Gem
The Shangri-La Paris is not only a gem in their own portfolio of luxury hotels, but also in Paris’s. Paris has so many famous five-star hotels that it is often difficult to know which one will be best for you and which one will truly deliver. I hope I can return to the hotel again some day and experience one of the more historical rooms, but until then I will continue to dream about our magical stay at one of the most remarkable hotels I have had the pleasure of staying in, and hope that if you decide to stay there, you will share your thoughts and experience with us.
Find out more and book your stay at Shangri-La Paris
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Catherine Lux is a food and travel contributor at AGLAIA, and a luxury lifestyle blogger documenting her life on her blog, Lux Life London. With Lux Life London having a large focus on travel and food, she loves nothing more than long-haul flights, excellent restaurants, and relaxing with friends in the coolest places in town.
