The lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Paris, which is open in spring 2014
There’s a certain kind of American in Paris…the kind who likes his or her luxury! And within that class of traveler can be found bands of loyalists who keep returning to the same Parisian hotel over and over again: the Plaza Athenée coterie, the Ritz clique, the Le Crillon klatch. Though I’m always trying to downscale my restaurants in Paris (to get at the REAL food), I fully understand the impulse to live in the lap of luxury in the world’s most luxurious city. And the idea of staying consistent ain’t a bad one other: it makes you feel as if you’re always coming home, as if you’re a kind of resident! I’ve been lucky enough to have a relationship like this with the Plaza Athenée, where I stay during 90% or so of my Parisian trips. The warm smiles of the great concierge staff, even the giggles of the maids—plus not only out-and-out comfort, but comfort that I can anticipate!—make me so relaxed. No surprises!…just the same wonderful croissants in bed every morning, where I have such sweet memories of crumbs past.
For these kinds of luxury-seeking folks—and it is not my intention to bring you any panic, in case you’re already planning your spring and summer 2014 trips—there will be no room at these Parisian inns for most of 2014. In fact, there will be no inns! All of the Grand Three Hotels mentioned above are closed right now for renovations…and are not expecting re-openings until at least September 2014! It is quite unusual to have a triple schneid like this in Paris, all at the same exact time.
But no alarm. The way I see it, this hiatus gives us habituées a chance to check out other luxury hotels we may have missed!
When I visited Paris in late January 2014, I made a beeline for a fairly new luxury hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. I’m a big fan of this hotel group—from Hong Kong, to San Francisco, to New York City (where I’ve stayed, happily, despite the fact that New York’s my home!) But this was my first time at the Paris branch, which opened in June 2011.
Let me give you my conclusion first: I greatly enjoyed my stay. I recommend strongly that you look into a stopover here. But there are some things you’ll want to know…
I guess the central fact is that the carefully designed hotel was fit into a building that had served as the Paris Department of Justice for many years. Oh, you’ll have no hint of that as you approach the hotel, on a sweet spot of the venerable Rue St. Honoré…or as you see the cadre of super-lux doormen, fancifully outfitted, at the towering front arch.
Get inside though, and the game changes a bit.
The front lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Paris
The grey marble walls are far from classic Parisian gaiety, and…
The inner courtyard of the Mandarin Oriental Paris
the bright Asian balloons of the inner courtyard do not hide the somewhat grim, boxy building that is the infrastructure of the hotel.
That said, the sense of luxury in the individual rooms—though drawing on a modern sense, and an east-meets-west sense, at that—is powerful.
A room at the Mandarin Oriental Paris (credit: mandarinoriental.com/paris)
The point that the management most likes to make is: “This is a new kind of Paris luxury hotel…for a new kind of visitor.”
In fact, the age range of the people I observed at the MOP was considerably lower than the age range I have seen at other Paris luxury hotels. Maybe it’s the Asian component, maybe it’s the lack of Grand Siecle trappings–but this hotel does hum along in a way that seems “hipper,” “younger” than the other luxury hotels. All you have to do is…choose your generation!
Happily, the service is every bit up to the standard of the more traditional Paris luxury hotels. On the night of my arrival, fully five people were taking care of five different little requests (including an amazing polish of my muddy boots which had just been tracking through a vineyard in the south of France!) At dinner (more below), the brilliant maître de recognized that my traveling companion was tired…so he arranged to have our dessert (in multi multi courses) served to us in our room!
Two-star dessert up in the room at the Mandarin Oriental Paris
And one other element of this hotel captivates me: inside of the old Dept. of Justice, and working within the Asian aesthetic, they have conceived of a number of spaces in the hotel as “cocoon”-like, creating a very haunting effect. I love the entrance to the swank spa…
Entrance to The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Paris
which would be a sensational spa, no matter what the design.
And the top restaurant, Sur Mesure (a Michelin two-star), also has a modern, cocoon-like austerity to it.
The whiteness of Sur Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris (credit: thecoolhunter.net)
But then comes the bad news about the restaurant: for me, it would not be a factor in choosing to stay at the Mandarin Oriental. A number of foodie friends in Paris had called it disappointing; one of the most famous three-star chefs in Paris told me that, after dining there, the next morning he couldn’t remember a single thing he’d had.
And I too found it odd.
We were treated to a marvelous-sounding menu, in January, that included fresh black truffles in almost every course. However, in order for two- or three-star food to grab my attention, it has to have extraordinary aspects. The flavors at Sur Mesure were repetitive, and the technique was standard…down to the inclusion of foam in almost every dish! And non-extraordinary foam, at that.
Some of the foams at Sur Mesure
Here the foam tops actually CHEWY ravioli (do you see the dried-out part at the top?)
Foam? 2014? I don’t get it.
I can only contrast this meal to another I had in January at Le Meurice, just a ten-minute walk away…Le Meurice itself being another luxury hotel alternative until the Big Three open again!
As you may well know, Le Meurice is one of the core luxury hotels in Paris. Its top restaurant earned three Michelin stars some years ago with rock star chef Yannick Alleno at the helm…but he left in 2013. Le Meurice is a sister hotel of the Plaza Athenée, domain of three-star chef Alain Ducasse. Since the Plaza was already closed for renovation when Yannick left, and since Ducasse was on hiatus from the Plaza due to the renovation, the management did the right thing…they brought in Ducasse to helm the three-star restaurant at Le Meurice right now! Everyone waits with bated breath to see if this new hybrid will retain its three stars in the March, 2014 Michelin guide to Paris…but, based on the lunch I had there in late January, I have no doubt it will twinkle on at three.
Well, here’s all the pop and sizzle you want from a three-star. A three-star finds ways to do little things differently…in this case the standing presentation of great bread…
Cutting bread at Le Meurice
to a new kind of pump to dispense glasses of Sauternes.
Chateau Guiraud sur pump
But the food’s the thing, ultimately…and Ducasse is soaring, particularly here, in collaboration with chef Christophe Saintagne. In recent years, Ducasse’s love for vegetables has grown, and every Ducasse restaurant now features a little black pot containing the best of local produce, simply cooked.
The vegetable pot with winter pesto at the ready
Les legumes
Note the vegetable garnish as well, near Ducasse’s sublime guinea hen pie:
Rolled up vegetables, each one different, each with a little crown, served alongside guinea hen pie at Le Meurice
Best of all, for me, was an extraordinary triangle of roast chicken, stuffed with black truffle:
The crunch of this triangular chicken is off the charts–a creative way of cooking chicken, but the crispiest skin ever?
As you can see, the elegance of the room…a room fashioned after a famous Versailles salon, and refreshed in 2007 by Philippe Starck…is breathtaking:
The dining room at the three-star Le Meurice
The elegance of the cheese chariot
Even the dishware set inside this French Renaissance palace is captivating (it’s actually on loan from the Plaza-Athenée!)
A great contrast of old and new
Needless to say, if you’re a freak for traditional luxury, Le Meurice may be your hotel this spring or summer.
A traditional suite at Le Meurice (credit: lemeurice.com)
I stayed at Le Meurice for a night in November 2013, and felt as if I were floating on a French cloud.
It’s all a matter of taste. If you’re a refugee from, say, The Ritz…either one of these superb hotels is sure to enchant, each in its own way.
