When the Hôtel Ritz opened in 1898, travelers were astonished by its opulence, and the mystique of the Parisian luxury hotel began. Today, however, the grandes dames face some stiff competition from a new Mandarin Oriental on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, plus the new Shangri-La on the Avenue d’Iéna and The Peninsula on the Avenue Kléber. Needless to say, the old guard isn’t standing still. The Bristol, the Plaza Athénée and the Ritz Paris have been extensively remodeled, while the Hôtel de Crillon has been reopened after a comprehensive modernization.