Three new Parisian hotels have just earned the ultimate title of palace, and one of them is just 5 years old.
On June 2, 2026, the French government made its new “Palace Collection” official. Three Parisian hotels have joined a very exclusive club, and the map of luxury in Paris has been permanently redrawn.
The Palace label: much more than just 5 stars
The Palace label is awarded by the Ministry of Tourism, for three years, on the recommendation of a commission of personalities from the worlds of culture, media, business and international clientele. To qualify, a hotel must have had a 5-star rating for at least two years, and offer rooms with a minimum surface area of 26 m².
Thus, 5 stars represent the entry level. The palace, on the other hand, is a distinction in its own right, awarded to a handful of exceptional addresses. In a way, it’s the Michelin Guide applied to the world of accommodation.
The “Palace 2026 Collection” now includes 33 establishments across France, with six new additions and the unexpected departure of four historic hotels.
“5 stars is level 1. The palace is the final boss.”
Three new addresses that are changing the landscape
Among the newly-awarded Parisian hotels, three are particularly noteworthy. Each embodies a different vision of contemporary luxury in the capital.
What’s more, these three addresses illustrate very different trajectories: a jewelry house from Italy, an LVMH project rooted in the history of Paris, and a legendary brasserie that is finally revealing its hotel to the world.
Three Parisian hotels earn the title of Palace
The Bulgari Hôtel Paris, located in the golden triangle of the 8th arrondissement, has established itself as a benchmark of Parisian luxury. It is the jeweller’s seventh hotel, after Milan, Bali, London, Beijing, Dubai and Shanghai. Its contemporary architecture was designed by Italian architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, and features 76 rooms, 75% of which are suites, most with loggias or terraces. It took the hotel almost a year to achieve this distinction.
Le Cheval Blanc Paris, housed in the former La Samaritaine building on the banks of the Seine, boasts an exceptional location in the heart of the capital. Opening in 2021, this LVMH address has gone from “luxury promise” to “official palace” in just four years. It’s a rapid rise to prominence, rarely seen among the major Parisian houses.
Behind the legendary brasserie on the Champs-Élysées lies Fouquet’s Paris, now an official luxury hotel. The hotel offers 81 rooms and suites in a Haussmann-style setting in the 8th arrondissement, complete with spa, indoor pool and Barrière restaurants. It’s an address that carries the history of Paris on every floor.
- Le Bulgari Hôtel Paris: 76 rooms, 75% suites, architecture by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel
- Le Cheval Blanc Paris: opening in 2021, housed in the former La Samaritaine building, LVMH address
- Le Fouquet’s Paris: 81 rooms and suites, spa, indoor pool, Barrière restaurants
- The Palace 2026 Collection now includes 33 establishments in France
- Paris now has a total of 13 official palaces with the label
The ten Parisian palaces whose labels have been renewed
Among the Parisian hotels retaining their distinction are ten leading names: the Crillon, the Bristol, the Four Seasons George V, the Meurice, the Plaza Athénée, the Royal Monceau, the Shangri-La Paris, La Réserve Paris, the Peninsula Paris and the Hotel Lutetia. These ten addresses have thus seen their status confirmed for a further three-year period.
However, two establishments are leaving the list for the first time since the label was created in 2010. The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme on rue de la Paix and the Mandarin Oriental Paris on rue Saint-Honoré are no longer part of the Palace Collection. Both hotels will be able to reapply once their renovation work is complete.
Paris, world capital of luxury hotels
With 13 official palaces, Paris confirms its position as the world’s benchmark for luxury accommodation. Parisian hotels now boast a wide variety of styles: Haussmannian, contemporary, steeped in history or resolutely design-oriented. Each address tells a different story of the city.
What’s more, the increase in the number of palaces in the capital bears witness to a strong dynamic. France boasts a total of 33 establishments in this exceptional collection, with Paris alone accounting for almost a third.
Among the Parisian hotels joining this list in 2026, the three new entrants have each followed a singular path to earn this distinction. It is this path, as much as the result, that makes the news remarkable. A night in one of these establishments costs more than many Parisian monthly rents – but the simple act of passing in front of it already gives an idea of what the word “palace” really means.
