Le Royal Monceau Raffles

If you’re looking for a quick way to spend 100,000 euros in one weekend, check yourself into Le Royal Monceau Raffles’s 280sqm Presidential Suite 241 (starts at 25,000 Euros/nt), outfit you and your significant other at the hotel’s part-luxury boutique, part-gallery, Le Royal Eclaireur, a truly stunning luxury fashion select shop, and then indulge in a weekend of gastronomy heaven in the hotel’s 2 Michelin-starred restaurants and endless treatments at Le Royal Monceau’s My Blend Spa by Clarins.

Part of this decadent weekend will have to include a private screening of the film of your choice in the hotel’s legendary 99-seat Katara cinema, probably the most luxurious small theater on the planet. Throw in some popcorn and a few bottles of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay and your 100,000 euros is spent.

But if you’re just a mere mortal like the rest of us, stretch your budget to afford a few nights in one of the hotel’s more modest rooms and you’ll have one of the best hotel experiences in Paris— or any city for that matter.

Paris has a handful of Palace Level hotels (The George V, the Bristol, the newly opened Peninsula, etc.), but Le Royal is the most modern of the set. This is a Philippe Starck-designed hotel, but several leagues above his usual dark, clean-lined projects. Here you’ll find lots of leather, bright marbles, glass and other rich materials. It’s as if Philippe Starke and Japan’s respected Super Potato design team (behind the Seoul Park Hyatt) came together for a singular greatness.

The hotel is a favourite spot among celebrities and visiting dignitaries, but don’t be afraid to dress down and be yourself at this surprisingly casual and kid-friendly property. The hotel’s service is impeccable and can be formal, but it also adapts to each guests style and needs.

While some hotels have a gift shop selling Tic-Tacs and bottled water, Le Royal has Librairie des Arts, a stunning gift/bookstore with over 700 art titles and a range of eclectic and original gift ideas and items.