Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel

Review — Rosewood Hôtel de Crillon, Paris ★★★★★ — The concierge team alone is worth the stay Nine nights in July, in the Marie-Antoinette Suite, at the end of a five-week run through some of the best hotels in France and Italy. The Crillon was the stay we’re still talking about. We arrived into a brutal Paris heatwave. Our suite gave onto the internal courtyard — cool, silent, entirely removed from the city — and on the worst afternoons we simply retreated upstairs. If you’re travelling in high summer, take the courtyard side. It’s the better room in that weather, whatever the view-facing rates suggest. Bastille Day was handled beautifully. The hotel held a function to watch the parade and found us a place at the last minute without a hint that we were an imposition. The night before, the concierge secured us dinner at Kinugawa with a front-row seat to the fireworks. They also arranged an Hermès leather appointment — anyone who has attempted that will know it is not a simple phone call. It was handled as though it were routine. We have stayed at every one of the Paris Palace hotels. This concierge team is the finest I’ve encountered anywhere, and the tone runs right through the house: housekeeping had our routine learned inside a day, reception and the bar treated us like twenty-year regulars from the first morning. The bar and the wine list deserve their own mention — the Burgundy depth is serious, which I don’t say lightly. Rosewood have done a remarkable job. The tradition is intact and carried lightly rather than performed, which is the hardest thing of all to get right. On the very short list of hotels we’ll return to without hesitation.

Stayed at the hotel in October, and from the moment I arrived at check in, the level of hospitality was exceptional. Every member of the team was warm, attentive, professional, and genuinely committed to making my stay memorable one. The service throughout my stay was flawless, friendly without being intrusive, efficient, and consistently delivered with a level of care that reflects the standards of a true “French palace hotel”. The room was beautifully appointed, impeccably clean, and exceptionally comfortable. Every detail had clearly been considered, from the elegant furnishings and luxurious bedding without a single crease, to the fresh amenities. It provided the perfect retreat after long days exploring Paris. One of my favorite parts of the hotel is its historic lobby and front common areas. The architecture, and preservation of the building's heritage create an atmosphere that is both grand and like a time capsule. Walking through the lobby each day was an experience in itself, and it perfectly captures the timeless elegance that makes HDC so special... The dining room setting is refined, sophisticated, and quintessentially Parisian, making every meal feel like an occasion. That said, having stayed and dined at the hotel previously during other visits to Paris, I did notice that a few of the food offerings were not quite at the exceptional level I had experienced in the past (at dinner service time). While everything was beautifully presented and enjoyable, a handful of dishes lacked the same depth of flavour and refinement that I have come to associate with the restaurant. This was a very minor observation and certainly did not detract from the overall experience, but it was noticeable given the incredibly high standard the hotel has consistently set over the years. Overall, this remains one of the finest luxury hotels in Paris and IMO within the rosewood group collection. The combination of rich history, beautifully designed accommodations, impeccable service, and an unmatched sense of elegance makes it a destination in its own right. Even with my small observation regarding a few menu items, my stay was truly exceptional from beginning to end. Special thanks to the passionate and friendly, Pierre at concierge who went above and beyond during this stay!

I would not recommend this for families. I booked this hotel despite $3300/night for the smallest room - thinking it would be magical. There was no special treatment. I had read they’d give a gift for my daughter. Absolutely nothing. They wrote a card that had 5 items of suggestion for her to do. When we went to eat, they took 40 minutes to ask us what we’d like to drink. Definitely not worth the expense or something I will do again.

Absolutely flawless stay. Everything was perfect and frictionless. They've thought of every detail, and the breakfast is possibly the best in Paris. We'll be back!

I rarely post reviews because I’m just too busy. But once in a while, an experience compels me. I’m fortunate to have traveled all over the world for the past 40 years and experienced some of the best luxury hotels. My experience at the Crillon deserves recognition. To a certain extent, luxury hospitality has lost its soul due to too much focus on bricks and mortar and programming. However, at its essence, hospitality is about service and experience, and that can only be delivered by people, and that’s where the team stands out at the Crillon. Of course, that has to start at the top, and at the Crillon, it starts with Mr. Vincent Billiard, the Managing Director. Mr. Billiard is omnipresent, whether in the lobby or at Jardin D’Hiver for breakfast, greeting guests and ensuring their every need is attended to. I’m reminded of the old adage that there’s only one chance to make a first impression, and on arrival, Michael, who manages the hotel’s entrance, certainly deserves mention. He remembered us from our prior visit, and not only did he greet us by name and with a big smile every time we departed or returned, but he also took the time to know where we were having dinner and arranged for transportation. Breakfast every morning was wonderful, with Amal and Joanna always greeting us with a big welcome and smile and remembering every special request. There was nothing the butler team couldn’t accommodate. Housekeeping was impeccable and always on time. And drinks at Les Ambassadeurs, with its incredible ambiance enhanced by Henry, the head bartender, who passionately describes the specialty cocktails and is eager to accommodate any request. Finally, the concierge team, headed by Pierre, is by far the best and most accommodating of any hotel I’ve stayed at. There is absolutely nothing they can’t and won’t do, and again, always with a big smile. My wife had purchased something at Hermes that was supposed to be delivered to the hotel late Saturday, and we were departing Sunday morning. As chance would have it, it did not arrive. We went down to the concierge desk. Pierre called the boutique and, of course, got transferred from person to person. After about 15 minutes, he said, " This is silly. I’ll just have to go over there myself. He calmly and assertively went to the store and, of course, came back with the package. My wife and I have been visiting Paris for almost 40 years. We’ve stayed at almost all of the five-star Palace Hotels. In fact, we stayed at the Ritz for almost 20 years. A few years ago, I told my wife I didn’t understand how we’ve been coming here for so many years and that nobody knows who we are, nobody acknowledges us, and whenever there’s a problem, we don’t feel like they’re trying hard to please us. Do they understand what hospitality is all about? Why not try another Hotel? It was almost as if somebody had whispered into Mr. Billiard’s ear my comments. We truly have found our new home in Paris and look forward to coming back for many years.