#8
What can I say but after a nearly two year absence from my favourite place, our experience at Le Bristol was as sensational as ever. I love Paris but staying at Le Bristol feels like you're coming home.
While we have stayed other places in Paris, when we came to find Le Bristol, we fell in love.
From the moment you step out of a taxi, you are greeted by the lovely doormen who whisk your bags inside, secreted to your room without any notice, as if by magic.
Then, whether it is your first stay or your nth, you are warmly greeted at the reception desk and welcomely escorted to your room, with each "apartment" more lovely than the next. Attention to detail is this hotel's forte, with everything from the luxury bath products you would expect to the cutest white and green hanging bags which are perfect for taking home any of your fashion finds, if you don't have room in your own suitcase!
Whether you chose to dine in one of the two restaurants, have a snack lunch, afternoon tea at Cafe Antonia or just order in room service and stare at Le Tour Eiffel from your Juliette balcony, the food is stunning and the service impeccable and you will be spoilt, no matter what. 114 Faubourg is my personal favourite. I could eat there every night forever and not get bored.
On the beverage front, Le Bar is a fantastic place to have a pre-dinner cocktail or one last beverage for the road, with a buzzy atmosphere that is fun no matter what your age. Equally, my husband says the best hot chocolate he's ever had came from Cafe Antonia, with its unctuous chocolateness so rich and delicious he is at a loss for words to describe how gorgeous it is. In either case, you can decamp and relax and feel the Le Bristol welcome envelope you.
Then let's talk about the Concierge team. I could hug them all they are so wonderful and like magic fairies! Over the years they have helped me surprise my husband with special tickets, they have manoeuvred us into restaurants that NO ONE could get a reservation for and, they are there all day every day, with a bottle of water or a map or a recommendation to what will be a delicious meal or a great sightseeing experience every time.
While I have to say that there are lots of the team that I could have named, even the members of staff that I only know by sight are as warm and lovely as the Le Bristol staff we have come to know over the years. The important thing is that everyone who comes to work for Le Bristol, in whatever capacity, seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs, feel valued and proud to work for what is, sans doubt, Paris's preeminent hotel.
I write this and miss Le Bristol. We will be back soon. That's a promise.