Ritz Paris

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, today’s post is all about staying at the Ritz in Paris. It was such an incredible hotel experience that I felt like it deserved its own post… plus I got so many DMs asking about how my stay was because other people were planning their Paris trips.

I spent a lot of time researching hotels in Paris but I kept coming back to the Ritz. I actually considered rebooking the Hôtel Providence, where I stayed during my last visit. I loved that hotel and so I knew I’d have a great experience there again… but I also wanted to try somewhere new and, especially, try a new neighborhood.

When we started planning the trip, it was pretty last minute (only the beginning of October), so many Airbnb options were already booked as were about 40% of hotels for the block of time we’d be there. I definitely want to stay in an apartment in the future, but for a longer stay when I want to feel more at home. You know? For five nights, I wanted all the amenities.

Once the Ritz was in the running, it seemed like the absolute best choice. Of course, I can’t say that it was better than any of the other hotels on my list because we didn’t experience any of the other hotels, but I can say that the experience was above and beyond any other hotel.

Our first interaction with the hotel was actually in the airport where we were picked up by someone from the hotel and whisked through an expedited customs process. At 8 am after flying all night and barely sleeping more than a wink, it felt like being handed the golden ticket.

Then we got into one of the hotel’s cars to drive into the city, where it felt like we got a mini-tour from a local. Our driver was wonderful and took us the more scenic route sharing little tidbits about the city.

The room itself was more divine than I could have imagined. It actually felt like we had more of an apartment than a hotel room. We had three closets to really unpack and settle in. (Unpacking is the very first thing I do when I get to a hotel room– it instantly makes you feel at home.)

The Ritz was once built to be one of the finest hotels in the world with famous guests like Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Coco Chanel (who actually lived in the hotel for over 30 years). It was shut down in 2012 to undergo a massive renovation and reopened in 2016.

All of the rooms are decorated in the most perfect Parisian fashion. My dream would be to stay in the Coco Chanel suite one day… but the regular rooms are more than fine for me, too 😉.

Every single detail was perfect. Literally, everything, whether it was the faucets in the bathroom (those swans!) or help from the bellhops, I was blown away. The concierge was also worth noting as exceptional– they provided us with the best restaurant recommendation (we were nervous because it had only been open for 13 days, but we needn’t be– it was delicious!) and helped us with every question we had. We, unfortunately, had not budgeted for the €12,000 helicopter ride they recommended for Normandy (😂), but hey, we at least knew it was an option.

The Ritz served as a great home base for us; it’s right in the heart of the 1st Arrondissement. It was so easy to walk to many of the places we wanted to visit. (Our rule of thumb was that we walked anywhere under 35 minutes away… I always find that walking gives you the best feel for the city while traveling.) By the end of our stay, we knew which way to turn and had a great sense of where we were going without our phones.

Actually, I think that’s the worst part of staying there… you don’t really want to leave! I had read a review online warning that you shouldn’t stay there unless you didn’t mind going to Paris and not seeing Paris. I totally know what that reviewer meant within 10 minutes of being inside the hotel. You could easily spend the entire trip there– swimming in their pool, relaxing at the spa, snacking on the finest croissants… etc.

Our room rate came with breakfast every morning. We took our mornings slow, opting for a little extra rest (and the sun didn’t rise until 8 am anyway) and a long, leisurely breakfast. This sounds dramatic, but it was the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Perfect eggs and the most scrumptious French toast you can ever imagine. But, I mean, when a basket of pastries is placed in front of you, a great meal is pretty much guaranteed.

And the best little detail? Monogrammed pillows!