Shangri-La Hotel Paris - A Photo-Tour
There are places that are talked about on late nights with friends. They are the places where you would stay if you were lucky enough; the type of place that you describe which causes everyone to wistfully nod their heads in dreamy agreement. When you come across such a place and find out that it exists in reality, it’s a beautiful moment. I feel fortunate to share my experience at such a place.
I knew I was about to embark on an epic experience when I was offered the opportunity to stay at Shangri-La Hotel Paris during my stay in Paris a few months back. But I don’t think I fully grasped the enormity of the experience until I walked up to its exterior, set my bags down, and laid my eyes on its grand entrance.
The is a 5 star hotel that was just recently awarded Palace status which puts it in an elite group of hotels in Paris that uphold extraordinarily high standards of excellence and luxury.
Built in the late 1800s as a residence for Napolean Bonaparte’s nephew Prince Roland Bonaparte, the residence was restored to its former glory from 2006 to 2010 when it opened as the Shangri-La Paris Hotel. It is also a historic monument.
Richard Martinet directed the architectural renovations of the hotel and Pierre-Yves Rochon directed the interior refurbishments and renovations.
This is the grand entrance of the hotel located at 10 avenue d'Iéna.
As you walk inside, it’s hard not to get caught up in the romance…
All 101 rooms and 36 suites are decorated in shades of blue, white and ecru, in keeping with both European Empire and Asian aesthetics. Textures and colours are harmonious, from silk-threaded wallpaper, textured wall panels and refined crystal hardware on custom-made furnishings.
The majority of rooms feature windows with views of the Eiffel Tower.
And these aren’t run-of-the-mill views of the Eiffel Tower either. The views are some of the best, unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
I read a while back that Prince Roland Bonaparte didn’t enjoy the Eiffel Tower and so his own private residence in the palace faced the street rather than the Seine.
I am not sure how true that anecdote is but I can definitely say that I love the Eiffel Tower. And so, I couldn’t contain a huge grin when I walked towards the window by my bed and opened the doors to the balcony which featured this view:
If you follow my Twitter, you may recall a now infamous photo that I posted within the first few hours of entering my hotel room at Shangri-La Hotel Paris. For reference, here is .
I can now elaborate on the story behind it. My publisher had just informed me a week earlier while I was in France that my was being finalized for printing.
I told someone on the phone about that emotional moment and they told me to savor every moment and to make sure I jump on every bed that is worthy of jumping on.
As soon as I saw the view from my room and then looked at the bed, I knew what I needed to do :):
But seriously, the view from my room’s balcony was so ridiculously incredible that I had a hard time pulling myself away from it. This was a view of the Eiffel Tower from my balcony at dusk:
And I was so enamored with the view, that I took a video of the Eiffel Tower’s light show with my phone (not zoomed in at all! so close!):
Every room and suite has a marble bathroom with heated floors, a separate bathtub and rainfall shower, and double sinks above which a flat-screen television is integrated into a large mirror:
If you look closely at the photo above, you will notice a little something in the mirror.
That’s right, even the bathtub features a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower:
Something that really stood out to me while I explored the hotel is the incredible attention and devotion to the history of the palace. The hotel has quite a few event spaces that are used for various events like weddings. This is a ceiling in one of the event spaces:
A walkway between rooms reveals elegant ornamentation:
As you walk from room to room on the main floor, it’s hard not to fall in love with the enormous stained glass touches on the windows and the generous amount of natural light that flows into the space:
Through an archway, an exquisite scene unfolds…:
…revealing a grand staircase fit for royalty:
As you ascend the stairs, light pours through the large windows ornamented with stained glass:
Descending the stairs, another entrance comes into the view. It’s the entrance to the heart of the hotel, one of its restaurants called :
La Bauhinia features a charming dining area that is flooded with natural light making it a comfortable and comforting place to enjoy a meal or snack:
Looking out over La Bauhinia’s main level and grand piano:
Le Bar is the hotel’s bar and features an Empire period equestrian theme:
I was fortunate enough to get a peek at the view from the hotel’s most prized suite, . It’s one of the best and most expensive rooms in the hotel. The views of the city from the balcony of the room are spectacular.
Here is the Eiffel Tower view:
And a sweeping view of the city:
The night I stayed at the hotel was one of the most magical and unforgettable nights of my stay in France.
As I stood on my own balcony watching the night sky fall over Paris, I took a deep breath and inhaled the essence of a perfect night into my lungs as I watched the gleaming lights dance along the Eiffel Tower.
I hope you enjoyed a journey through the Shangri-La Hotel Paris.
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Looking for these (and more) Shangri-La Hotel Paris photos to view larger? Here you go (click or tap on each photo to view larger):
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Interested in viewing all of my France posts so far? Here they are:
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Incredible amounts of gratitude to:
Shangri-La Hotel Paris who let me stay as a guest of theirs in exchange for photography and took amazing care of me during my stay.
And, the official French tourism agency, who you can find here on Facebook . They made my entire France photography adventure possible and went above and beyond in making sure I was well taken care of everywhere I went (truly).
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*All photos taken with my Sony A7R.
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