It was the famous fashion designer Marc Jacobs who said “I envy anyone who gets to go to Paris for the first time because there’s nothing like the first time”…his words made me think about my first time in Paris few decades ago.

That time not only did I have the chance of knowing, (and falling in love forever with) Paris but I also had the privilege of doing so being based at The Plaza Athénée.

Many years passed…I visited town an uncountable number of times and lived there part time for years but I had to recognize the impact of memories when I was planning a surprise birthday getaway for my better half..it simply had to be the Plaza Athénée.

Located in the heart of the swanky Avenue Montaigne the hotel is more beautiful than ever after the meticulous touch up done for its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Known as the Haute Couture address for both the proximity to the Couture Houses and the painstaking attention to detail that keep seducing the most refined names in the upper echelon of different fields.

The decor is quintessentially French and distinctively Plaza Athénée; the stunning Art Deco facade embellished with the red canvas awnings and matching geraniums plus the beautifully Bruno Moinard’s redisigned communal spaces in such a spectacular yet discreet fashion embracing and enhancing the Hotel’s concept in the words of the designer himself “a luxury found in detail, in the seam,the lining, in what remain unseen, in surprises” and what is more Haute Couture than this?

All of the 154 guest rooms and the 54 suites have been decorated and restored by the extremely talented Marie-José Pommereau for the last fourteen years; Pommereau chose a range of warm tones for the walls including peony,pale yellow and silver while using materials such as damask,embroideries and silks from top couture houses to “dress” windows and furniture.

Aiming to take the word “pampered” to a whole new level this this Lux Traveller had the honor to reside in the 361/362 aka THE room.

This Signature Eiffel Suite offers 130sq meters including a living room that is a study in beauty with pale grey walls as well as pale pink and charcoal grey chairs and couches plus a baby grand piano, ornate moldings,a sumptuous bedroom, walk in closet,and a Calacatta marble luminous main bathroom and powder room in addition to the full unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower that literally becomes part of the room.

While the majority of the rooms are decked out in classical French Regency style,the 7th and 8th floor are decorated in Art Deco.

We’re talking about one of the only 8 Palace Hotels in Paris, a distinction that award official recognition to the finest 5-star hotels that have exceptional qualities that embody French standards of excellence and contribute to enhancing the image of France throughout the world.

Ça va sans dire then that no request is too big for the wonderfully trained team and precision, grace and quickness are the norm here all without apparent effort…it simply work like a perfectly oiled mechanism with a wonderfully trained staff full of charm and charisma and discretion.

From the beautiful lobby adorned with stunning flowers compositions to the powdery, engaging perfume of amber that is an unchanged signature of this Dorchester property and represent such a Proustian madeleine for yours truly; an abundance of refinement and sophistication pervades the hotel where chic guests from all over the world arrive, depart or simply enjoy a drink or a coffee in this gilded, dreamy setting.

Many elegant Parisians enjoy the hotel and its wonderful Dior Spa,for lunch, dinner and drinks on a regular basis giving the hotel a definite sense of place.

Plenty to choose from starting with the strikingly modern 3 Michelin stars Alain Ducasse restaurant to Le Relais Plaza the hotel’s chic brasserie  created in 1936.

This Lux Traveller’s personal favorites are La Cour Jardin the hundred year old courtyard enriched by geranium and Virginia creepers,crape myrtle and red camellias where to enjoy an al fresco lunch or dinner away for the hustle and bustle of the city and La Galerie, a beautiful space to unwind at any time of the day eating wonderful food such as the lobster club sandwiche or the mouth-watering truffle pasta and indulging in decadent desserts.

– Pamper yourself with one of the treatments on offer at The Dior Institut,

– Enjoy a coffee at La Galerie, perfect spot to people watch while resting after all the shopping

– Sip a signature Black Mojito while surrounded by the Parisian beau monde at Le Bar

– Take a minute to breathe deeply, look around, realize how lucky you to be in Paris staying at Plaza Athénée and head out to live the City of Light to the fullest.