Located on the iconic Place Vendome in the heart of Paris, France, the Ritz Paris is one of the world’s most legendary luxury hotels and a wonderful base for exploring the French capital. Since opening in the late 19th century, the Ritz Paris has hosted royalty, fashion designers, illustrious writers and other luminaries and discerning travelers.

Artisans of Leisure works closely with Ritz Paris—it’s one of our favorite hotels in Europe.

In the late 19th century, the pioneering Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz acquired an 18th-century private mansion on Place Vendome with the intention of transforming it into the most modern and luxurious hotel in the world. 

When the Ritz Paris opened in 1898, it was the last word in luxury with novel features like en-suite bathrooms with bathtubs, electricity and telephones in every room. It also immediately attracted an impressive roster of guests, some of whom stayed on for years (Coco Chanel lived at the Ritz Paris for over 30 years). 

Legendary names associated with the hotel include Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marcel Proust, Sarah Bernhardt, Gianni Versace, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Diana, Princess of Wales.  Many of the most prestigious suites in the hotel are named after illustrious former guests, such as the Suite Windsor and Suite Coco Chanel.

The hotel has expanded over the years to incorporate adjacent townhouses and a tranquil garden and has undergone several major renovations.

It nevertheless retains a timeless elegance with exquisite furnishings and decorative schemes that reference different time periods, including the opulence of Louis XIV, the glamor of the Belle Epoque and the exuberance of the Roaring Twenties.

Modern amenities are seamlessly integrated into period-appropriate interiors with sumptuous textiles, upholstered beds and fine art (gilt-framed mirrors conceal televisions, for example).

We love some of the enduring original features in the bathrooms that transport guests to a bygone era: the peach-colored towels (said by Cesar Ritz to flatter a woman’s complexion), bell pulls to summon a maid or valet…

…and the iconic gold swan faucets.

For special repeat guests, the hotel provides pillowcases embroidered with their initials. 

Guests of the Ritz Paris enjoy exquisite fine-dining options, such as the Michelin-starred L’Espadon…

…or the Bar Vendome, a gourmet brasserie with red velvet banquettes indoors…

…and a light-filled courtyard dining area with a retractable glass roof. 

Relaxing in the wood-paneled Salon Proust is a highlight…

…as are cocktails at one of the hotel’s iconic bars…

…including the intimate Bar Hemingway, named in honor of the writer who was a frequent guest. He is known to have said, “When I dream of the afterlife in heaven, the action always takes place in the Paris Ritz.” 

Also on site is a prestigious cooking school, the Ecole Ritz Escoffier (Artisans of Leisure can arrange private lessons at the school, including for children), and a wonderful shopping arcade that connects the hotel’s two wings. Upscale boutiques feature high-end jewelry, exclusive Ritz Paris items…

…and gourmet tea and coffee.

Place Vendome is home to exclusive boutiques for leading French brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton, Goyard and other illustrious French houses. 

The hotel’s Ritz Club & Spa is a leading wellness and beauty destination in the French capital.

Open to members and hotel guests, it offers an impressive list of treatments and state-of-the-art facilities, including a fitness center, hammam and a mosaic-lined pool that plays soothing underwater music beneath a ceiling painted to look like the sky.

Ritz Paris is located just steps from favorite Paris museums like the Louvre Museum and Hotel de la Marine. 

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private luxury France tour featuring the highlights of Paris and accommodation at the Ritz Paris.