Let me be your guide: You’ve arrived at the heart of Paris, the world’s most romantic city. Standing in front of the Place de la Concorde, you can’t help but fixate on the grandiose Neoclassical facade before you, complete with towering colonnades and baroque Coustou sculptures. The view is stunning, in every sense of the word. Walking through the doors, you step into the lobby and see a visual symphony of gold and marble. You feel an immediate aura of warmth that beckons you to stay. You’re at the doorway of Hôtel de Crillon.

Palatial without being over-pretentious, the hotel’s light-filled, high-ceilinged entrance is furnished with low tables and cognac leather easy chairs, giving the space a friendly, welcoming air. It is the work of Tristan Auer, a French interior design luminary, who is known for his collaboration with artisanal brand Pouenat [Read More] and was recently named Designer of the Year by Maison&Objet. To create a more homely atmosphere, he transformed the reception into a lounge area with a private cigar room, and also introduced an open-to-public brasserie.

Turn right from the lobby and you’ll face the new Les Ambassadeurs. Chahan Minassian, a lionized Paris-based interior designer gave its formal look an overhaul, turning it from a restaurant into a 60-seat exclusive cocktail bar. Soft, white clouds painted over the original light blue ceiling bring a light pop of colour to the golden hues that dominate the rococo-style saloon. Its original chandeliers also remain intact, save for the addition of silver chain trimmings and their lowered height, which ups the intimacy of the space. Furniture-wise, Chahan Minassian paired grey velvet tubular sofas with tables studded with semiprecious minerals for that touch of glamour.

Near Les Ambassadeurs is the Jardin d’Hiver tearoom, whose colour scheme follows the deep purple of the chandeliers and their amethyst drops. Like an artist with great attention to detail, Minassian went a step further and inlaid the walls with mica, a subtle element that can elevate the entire room. Another highlight of the hotel designed by Minassian is the subterranean, jewel-box pool, which lies directly below the hotel’s teeming garden. Fitted with 17,600 scale-like mosaic tiles, and a skylight above, it’s secured its place as one of the most luxurious swimming pools in the world. While the heavily textured ceramic celadon walls with gold flecks (created by artist Peter Lane) serve as the room’s statement piece, the rest of the decor assumes a more neutral colour palette.

A highly-exclusive in-house restaurant that has only 22 seats, L’Ecrin is where the Michelin-starred Christopher Hache serves as head chef. It certainly harks back to the hotel’s posh, “glitterati” history, so much so that it comes as no surprise that the china and cutlery are custom-made for the restaurant too. A contemporary, monochrome design runs through the intimate space, complementing its 18th century decor. Nevertheless, the pièce de résistance of this covert dining spot remains the bold, stunning, overhanging chandelier, designed by Nathalie Ziegler Pasqua, a designer, artist and maker of some of the most unique light fixtures in the industry. Composed of various intricate layers of glass in a petal-like arrangement, it anchors the room like a sculptural work of art.

In every room of Hôtel de Crillon awaits an adventure, a majestic visual feast carefully designed by the crème de la crème of artists. While it’s no longer an establishment reserved solely for the members of high society, anyone who steps into the building would still be able to feel like one. Coupled with a heritage as rich as its former occupants, it is needless to say not just a destination, but an experience – one that you wouldn’t want to miss.

Hotel de Crillon, Paris
Address: 10 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France
T: +33 1 44 71 15 00