Live it up in Paris for US$1,000 a night at hotels fit for royalty

Paris

IN MOST cities, hotels are categorised on a five-star scale. Not Paris. Here, you'll find the typical boutique and five-star options, as well as an additional designation - "palace hotels" - that is given to 24 French properties that are, quite literally, fit for royalty.

Two of these, the Ritz Paris and Rosewood's Hotel de Crillon, have recently reopened in the 1st arrondissement after top-to-bottom overhauls; they've emerged in such exquisite form, they're almost in a category of their own. Here's how Paris's best new hotels stack up.

The design

The Ritz: Those who knew the Ritz will find it hasn't changed much on the surface: Antiques have been given new varnish, fabrics refreshed, and tufted sofas reupholstered. The no-expenses-spared, Marie Antoinette look is in full effect. Rooms have tro…