At 112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré sits a purely 18th century style hotel, a guardian of French “art de vivre” and Parisian luxury since 1925. Inside, the period furniture dates back to the 1700s, the tapestries come from the Gobelins or Lille, and the paintings are done by great masters (the majority of them acquired at auction from the Louvre before the Second World War). The 188 rooms of which 92 are suites are all unique thanks to the marriage of noble materials and careful decoration. The pool on the 7th floor, a creation by Professor Pinaud, the architect for Onnasis’ yachts, gives a cruise ship feeling to the roofs of Paris, and its 1200 m² French garden is a haven of peace and relaxation. Right in the heart of Paris, it has traversed the years by keeping with its high standards of comfort, hospitality, and quality of service.
Inaugurated in 1925 by the Jammet family, the Bristol danced to the sounds of Josephine Baker and the Charleston before hosting American officials during the Second World War, allowing it to be the only Parisian hotel not to be requisitioned by the German army, an oasis of French ostentation in occupied lands. Afterwards, numerous personalities from showbiz and politics alike would come to take a break in this out-of-the-ordinary place, like Charlie Chaplin, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, or more recently Vladimir Putin for the D-Day commemorations.
In 1974, the German family Oetker took over the hotel, the first five-star in Paris to earn the title of “palace”. Ever since, it’s striven to offer high quality service in a refined and warm atmosphere and to ceaselessly renew itself to remain a house of prestige. The opening of restaurants – including l’Epicure – 3 stars in the Michelin guide – and the inauguration of the most luxurious spa in all of Paris, the Spa Bristol by LaPrairie who’s eight stalls offer a magnificent view of the hanging gardens, bear witness to a taste for excellence. Summer at the Bristol is a veritable voyage into the heart of French savoir-faire, a stopover for the taste buds and the senses guided by non other than Fa-raon, the sacred Burmese cat, a gracious and warm master of the house. If luxury can make you dream, than the Bristol is a dream in and of itself. A symbol of savoir-faire and French “art de vivre”; a true Parisian icon.
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