Review: Hotel De Crillon Paris, A Rosewood Hotel

We recently spent a couple of nights at the 124-room Hotel de Crillon Paris, a Rosewood Hotel. This is such an iconic and historic property — it’s like stepping back in time, without compromising on modern comforts. There’s a lot to like about this hotel, from the location, to the impressive selection of restaurants and bars, to the spa and indoor pool, to the flawless service.

Paris is without a doubt the world’s most competitive luxury hotel market, as you won’t find another city with so many top notch properties (many of which have France’s “Palace” distinction).

While many cities have one property that’s undoubtedly considered best, that’s simply not the case in Paris, as there are several hotels that could take that title, depending on the vibe you prefer. In addition to Hotel de Crillon, this includes properties like Four Seasons George V Paris, Cheval Blanc Paris, Ritz Paris, and more.

Booking Rosewood Hotel de Crillon Paris

Since the start of the pandemic, hotel rates in Paris have skyrocketed, and they haven’t come down. Just about all of Paris’ top luxury hotels have similar pricing, and you’ll find that entry level rates start at €1,500 to €2,000 per night, depending on the time of year, and what’s going on in town. Of course that’s super expensive, but people are paying those rates, so what can one really say?

Since Hotel de Crillon belongs to luxury hotel group Rosewood, the best way to book a stay here is through the Rosewood Elite program. This is Rosewood’s program for select travel advisors, and is also the best way to book virtually any Rosewood stay. Those booking through Rosewood Elite receive a room upgrade subject to availability, a $100 food & beverage credit, complimentary breakfast for two, etc. Ford and his team are happy to help with these requests, and can be reached at [email protected].

In general you’re better off booking through Rosewood Elite than through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, as upgrades and prioritized for those booking through Rosewood’s own program. Furthermore, you can generally combine Rosewood Elite perks with any publicly available rate found directly through Rosewood, rather than just the flexible rate.

In the interest of full disclosure, Ford got a travel advisor rate for this stay, so we received a discounted rate. Paris is the single market where he books the most people, and he was curious to check out this property, and I tagged along. Of course all opinions expressed are my own, and this post hasn’t been reviewed by the hotel.

Rosewood Hotel de Crillon Paris history & location

Hotel de Crillon first opened in 1909, and is in a building that dates back all the way to 1758. It was initially commissioned by King Louis XV, and was designed by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, as one of two neoclassical palaces that would become the Place de la Concorde. In 1778, this building was even where the United States and France signed their first treaties.

You can’t help but just be in awe about how so many of Paris’ top hotels are in buildings that are literally hundreds of years old, with such signifiant history. You really get the best of both worlds — not only do you get that amazing history, but the hotels have also been updated to the point that you don’t feel like you’re making any compromises compared to other modern properties.

While everyone has a different preferred location in Paris, Hotel de Crillon overlooks the Place de la Concorde, and is located at the foot of the Champs-Elysees. It’s a pretty central location, and we moved around town exclusively by foot.

Rosewood Hotel de Crillon Paris lobby & check-in

We arrived at Hotel de Crillon in the early afternoon. Upon pulling up to the hotel, two bellmen immediately helped us with our bags, and escorted us into the lobby and to reception.

The hotel has a large lobby area with plenty of seating. I find that so many hotels have greatly reduced the size of their lobbies over the years (since the space can’t be monetized), so I always love seeing grand, classic lobbies like these. It really feels like you’re in some palatial living room rather than in a hotel.

The hotel also has a grand staircase, plus several sets of classic elevators.

Reception is located just inside the entrance to the hotel and to the left, and it consists of a couple of desks where you can be seated while formalities are taken care of. We were offered welcome drinks — Ford selected a glass of champagne, while I had an espresso.

The check-in process was efficient, though we were told that it would be about an hour until our room was ready. Sure enough, that’s exactly how long it took.

Rosewood Hotel de Crillon Paris guest room

Once our room was ready, we were escorted up to the fifth floor (the hotel goes from level minus one to level seven). How pretty is this staircase?!

We were assigned room 524, a grand premier room, located at the very end of the hall.

Grand premier rooms are marketed as being 42 square meters (452 square feet), so they’re a bit larger than the standard rooms, which are 32 square meters (340 square feet). Our room had a bit of an awkward shape, in the sense that it was one big room, but it wasn’t rectangular. Inside the entrance was a seating area, and then deeper into the room was the bed.

The seating area consisted of a dining table and a couple of chairs. While not a traditional desk, I found it to be a comfortable place from which to work.

There was also a lovely welcome amenity on the table. We were staying over July 4, so there was a tasty cake, plus a bottle of champagne. It was also a cute touch how during check-in we had mentioned how we were coming from Biarritz, and then that was reflected on the table. Hah.

The king size bed was outrageously comfortable, with a soft mattress, plush bedding, and thick pillows (the pillows were even monogrammed!). As someone who doesn’t typically watch TV in hotels, I also kind of liked how the TV was hidden, as it could be extended from a console at the foot of the bed.

The room had a minibar, with a complimentary selection of Nespresso coffee and tea, plus a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase.

Off to the side of the bed area was the closet space, which was quite deep and narrow. It was nice to have a space separate from the rest of the room, since bags can otherwise kind of pile up.

The bathroom area was then next to the bedroom. For a non-suite, I thought the bathroom was impressive, with double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet in a separate room.

I appreciated the quality of the amenities in the room. They were in individual containers, and while not from a “mainstream” toiletry brand you’ll find at other hotels, they were excellent.

Our room faced the hotel’s courtyard (some rooms in the same category face the street). While it would of course be nice to have a view of some amazing Paris landmark, in reality, I appreciate how the courtyard view minimizes noise.

All-in-all, I thought the room was very nice. Hotel de Crillon has elegant, classic, and comfortable rooms. I’d put the room quality roughly in line with the Four Seasons, for example. Personally I think Cheval Blanc has my favorite rooms in Paris, but that’s a totally different style, so it wouldn’t work at this hotel. And while some may prefer the rooms at Ritz, personally I find them to border on gaudy and a bit over-the-top.

Rosewood Hotel de Crillon Paris spa, pool, & gym

Hotel de Crillon has a massive spa complex on level minus one, including a full-service spa, a pool, and a gym.

If you’re looking to get a spa treatment, the hotel offers a huge selection of massages, facials, and more, and you can find the treatment menu here.

The hotel’s indoor pool is open daily from 9AM until 9PM, and it’s big enough to do laps, and also has quite a bit of seating.

I love how the hotel takes a quirky, residential approach to its design. For example, you wouldn’t expect to have a coffee table with a bunch of books sitting in the pool area at the hotel, but that’s exactly what Hotel de Crillon does.

In addition to that, guests can also use the relaxation area, with a steam room and sauna.

Then the hotel has a 24/7 gym. While the equipment is excellent, the gym is on the small side, especially if there are multiple people doing weights. I do wish a bit more space had been allocated to the gym.

Now, I was impressed by how the gym had bottled sparkling water, coconut water, and even Red Bull, as well as apples and granola bars.

All-in-all, I’d say this is a mighty impressive spa complex, and I enjoyed using the gym and pool.

Rosewood Hotel de Crillon Paris dining

While there’s a lot about Hotel de Crillon that’s impressive, the area where the hotel is really remarkable is when it comes to food & beverage outlets. Hotel de Crillon has some well regarded and diverse dining options for locals and visitors alike, as this hotel is a restaurant powerhouse.

What amazes me is how many dining outlets the hotel is able to fit on the lobby level. To briefly summarize:

• Jardin d’Hiver is the lobby lounge and breakfast restaurant, open throughout the day
• Nonos & Comestibles par Paul Pairet is a French grill and delicatessen counter
• Butterfly Pattiserie is the dessert shop, with cakes, signature chocolates, coffee, tea, and more
• L’Ecrin is the Michelin-starred restaurant, with a unique dining concept
• Bar Les Ambassadeurs is the iconic bar, serving drinks and snacks in the evenings

Let’s look at this in a bit more detail.

Hotel de Crillon Paris Jardin d’Hiver

Jardin d’Hiver is Hotel de Crillon’s all-day venue, open from early in the morning until late at night. This consists of both a palatial indoor space, plus outdoor seating in the courtyard. This is the primary breakfast restaurant, but you can also come here for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, or just drinks, and you can find all the menus here.

Breakfast is entirely a la carte, and if breakfast is included with your rate, it seems you can basically order whatever you’d like. We had breakfast here one morning, and were brought a basket with fresh bread, pastries, and croissants, upon sitting down.

To drink, I ordered a French press coffee and a green juice, while Ford had a cappuccino, all of which were good.

I chose the boring and healthy(ish) option, and asked for a veggie omelet with potatoes and chicken sausage.

The next morning we had an early departure, so we ordered room service (which doesn’t cost extra for those with breakfast included). I ordered the “healthy breakfast” set, which was absurdly over the top, and included banana pancakes, a bowl of fruit, an avocado toast, and an açaí bowl. You know, just an everyday breakfast. 😉

Since I was working from the hotel, I decided to come here in the afternoon with my laptop (the people watching is amazing, let me tell you). I ordered an iced latte, which was served with some tasty sweets.

We also later came down here for drinks, which were excellent. There’s nothing like a beautiful afternoon in a courtyard like this, with perfect temperatures.

Hotel de Crillon Paris Nonos & Comestibles par Paul Pairet

Nonos & Comestibles are two popular dining concepts at Hotel de Crillon, from French chef Paul Pairet. Both are open for lunch and dinner.

Nonos is a French grill, serving everything from steak frites to grilled chicken, and you can find the menu here.

Comestibles is an even more boutique concept. It’s a delicatessen counter adjacent to Nonos, serving seafood, charcuterie, smoked fish, cheese, and more, and you can find the menu here.

Hotel de Crillon Paris Butterfly Pattiserie

Butterly Pattiserie is Hotel de Crillon’s dessert shop, open from late in the morning until early in the evening. This has everything from sandwiches, to cake, to pastries, to chocolate, and you can find the menu here. This almost feels more like a jewelry shop rather than a dessert shop, based on how everything is displayed.

Hotel de Crillon Paris L’Ecrin

L’Ecrin is Hotel de Crillon’s Michelin-starred restaurant, by chefs Boris Campanella and Matthieu Carlin, and it’s open for dinner. What’s cool here is that the dining experience has essentially been reverse engineered — you first select a wine, and then the restaurant selects dishes to complement that.

There’s still a menu showing all the potential options available, and you can let the kitchen know if there’s anything you don’t want. But it’s really cool to be surprised with each dish. You can find the menu here. I couldn’t get a picture of the restaurant empty, so below you can find one from the hotel’s website.

Hotel de Crillon Paris Bar Les Ambassadeurs 

Bar Les Ambassadeurs is Hotel de Crillon’s iconic cocktail bar, located just inside the entrance. The bar is open nightly, and you can find the menu here. The bar has a creative selection of cocktails, plus live music. I was bummed about the fact that this was closed during our stay, as the space was being updated. But seriously, how gorgeous does this look (picture taken from the hotel’s website)?!

Bottom line

Hotel de Crillon Paris is an excellent luxury hotel, with a history dating back hundreds of years, top notch food and beverage outlets, friendly service, and a central location. Paris is the world’s most competitive luxury hotel market, and Hotel de Crillon no doubt belongs in the city’s top league.

The challenge is, there are so many excellent hotels in Paris, and it’s hard to decide which is best. The top hotels all have impeccable service, amazing spas with indoor pools, etc. So, how do you decide between them? I’d say Hotel de Crillon is the ideal option if you want to be in the Place de la Concorde area, and if you want to be in a gorgeously restored historic hotel, and if you value a hotel with an impressive variety of food and beverage outlets. If you want a more modern hotel, I’d instead go with something like Cheval Blanc, which has a totally different vibe.

What’s your take on Hotel de Crillon, and what do you think the best hotel in Paris is?