Shangri-La Comes to Paris' 16th Arrondissement

Three of the grandest hotels in paris are closing or have already closed for renovation: the Ritz, the Crillon and the Plaza Athénée. On a recent trip to the city, I therefore decided to try the new 101-room Shangri-La, which opened in December 2010. I’m very glad that I did, since it proved to be a magnificent property, with stellar cuisine and some of the best service I’ve ever encountered in the French capital.

Housed within a seven-story 1896 limestone mansion that was once the home of Napoleon’s grandnephew, Roland Bonaparte, the hotel creates an extremely positive first impression. Inside, the marble-and-stone floors of the spacious reception area have an almost regal beauty. Our check-in was impeccably gracious, and afterward, we were escorted to a Deluxe Room, closely followed by a pleasant young woman with a pot of Jasmine Chun Hao tea. Our bags arrived moments later.

Renowned designer Pierre-Yves Rochon was responsible for the interiors, and here, his customary classicism is augmented by Asian decorative elements. The chinoiserie motifs favored by great British faience producers such as Spode appear in the heavy silk curtains, while a Chippendale-style desk and several wall hangings provide subtle references to the British Colonial style once prevalent in Hong Kong, the Shangri-La group’s hometown. In addition, our room came with a Directoire-style chandelier that nodded to all things Napoleonic, elegant jade-colored carpeting and a handsome pair of tufted powder-blue armchairs. The room’s best feature, however, was a private terrace overlooking a courtyard garden and affording spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower on the opposite bank of the Seine. “Everything in this room is exactly where it should be and everything is easy to use,” observed Mrs. Harper, who shares my phobia for hotel electronics that require an instruction manual. Faced in tan limestone and white marble, the bath was reached via a small dressing room and came with a double vanity, a large soaking tub with a chrome book-holder, and a spacious separate shower with both overhead and wall-mounted fixtures. Bulgari white tea-scented toiletries winked at the Orient, and the heavy bathrobes were of the finest quality cotton toweling.

After an excellent room service lunch from La Bauhinia restaurant, which serves both French and Asian dishes, we set off to try the hotel’s newly opened swimming pool, and the spa. The sensationally beautiful 50-by-20-foot pool turned out to be lined with exquisite aquamarine tiles, while the wellness center offers a full range of Carita facial and body treatments. Later, we caught a glimpse of the opulent Suite Impériale, once the private apartment of Roland Bonaparte, on our way to the summer Champagne terrace for a split of Bollinger before dinner. The hotel’s Michelin two-star gastronomic restaurant, L’Abeille, is truly superb. Chef Philippe Labbé actually works in his kitchen every night, rather than gallivanting around the globe and making the rare appearance like so many celebrity chefs. We started with Breton crabmeat with cucumber and shellfish on a bed of seawater gelée, and langoustines with tomato sorbet. These were followed by superlative salmon served with almond purée, and delicious sole with rhubarb and shellfish. The cheese cart was exceptional, and we loved our dessert of sautéed black cherries with beer sorbet, poached rhubarb and goat-cheese ice cream. Next day, we ate lunch at the one-star Shang Palace, where the Cantonese food was also outstanding.

It is a huge challenge to create what the French call a “palace” hotel from scratch, but with its gorgeous décor, refined comfort, exceptional cuisine and service culture that combines Asian grace with Old World charm, the Shangri-La more than merits a place among the Paris elite.