BRISTOL PARIS

Hotel le Bristol, opened in 1925, has had one aim first and foremost: to provide guests with the best a hotel stay could offer, while recreating the warm, intimate atmosphere of an opulent home. The rooms and suites house precious objects including original engravings and Old Masters, crystal chandeliers, antique furniture and Persian carpets.

Chintz curtains in lapis lazuli, emerald and raspberry add a fresh touch to the elaborate luxury. Here, even the hotel's bathrooms are as famed as its rooms. Renowned for being among the best and most spacious in Paris, much care has been lavished on the decor of the bathrooms, each of which features white Carrara or pink Portuguese marble, indulgently over-sized bathtubs, double wash basins and exquisite Anne Semonin toiletries.

The remainder of Hotel le Bristol shows the same touch. The white marble flooring and Ile-de-France stone walls of the regal lobby are offset by 10 Baccarat crystal chandeliers, pink marble pillars, the finest tapestries from Gobelins and Louis XVI sofas upholstered in rare fabrics.

The area is further occupied by an imposing portrait of Marie Antoinette, set by the double line of pink marble columns flanking the path that leads up the gorgeous hotel garden. Many other 18th and 19th century art pieces, which came from the famed Louvre museum in the 1930s, decorate the hotel.

For those looking for the ultimate in timeless elegance and style in one of the world's most fashionable cities, Hotel le Bristol is a natural choice.