Cheval Blanc Paris joins the exclusive circle of France’s 33 palace hotels
Earning the Palace label within five years of opening is a feat very few hotels can claim. Yet Cheval Blanc Paris has done exactly that, joining in June 2026 a circle that now counts just 33 establishments across the whole of France. Behind this distinction lies the portrait of a hotel that is, in every sense, in a category of its own.
World-class gastronomy at the heart of the Cheval Blanc Paris project
Before you even get to the architecture or the location, it is the food that stops you in your tracks. The restaurant Plénitude, helmed by chef Arnaud Donckele, was awarded three Michelin stars just months after the hotel opened in September 2021, a dazzling achievement for such a young establishment.
Meanwhile, the Japanese table Hakuba, born from a collaboration between Takuya Watanabe and Arnaud Donckele, earned a second Michelin star in 2026. The hotel’s culinary offering now stacks up an impressive collection of distinctions, which formed one of the strongest pillars of its Palace dossier.
The criteria examined for this label include the personalisation of service and international reach, but also the overall quality of the guest experience. On that last point, the hotel’s Michelin tally speaks for itself.
72 rooms, the Seine and the former Samaritaine
The hotel occupies the restored shell of the former Samaritaine department store, at 8 quai du Louvre, a stone’s throw from the Louvre and the Île de la Cité. This historic setting contributes directly to its exclusive character, one of the elements weighed in the Palace assessment.
Architect Peter Marino designed the property’s 72 rooms and suites, most of which look out over the Seine or across the Parisian rooftops. That limited number stands in sharp contrast to the grand hotels that house several hundred rooms, reinforcing the idea of an address conceived for a select clientele in search of a truly bespoke experience.
- Opened in September 2021 inside the former Samaritaine
- 72 rooms and suites designed by Peter Marino
- Views over the Seine or the Paris rooftops from most rooms
- Three Michelin stars for restaurant Plénitude within its first few months
- Two Michelin stars for Hakuba, awarded in 2026
What the Palace label actually means
Created in 2010, the Palace label singles out five-star hotels deemed exceptional according to a precise set of criteria. Location, the history of the site, architecture, personalisation of service and international standing are all part of the review. It is not simply another tier of classification, but a holistic assessment of what an establishment represents within the broader hospitality landscape.
For Cheval Blanc Paris, this recognition arrives almost five years after its inauguration, and confirms the place the hotel has swiftly carved out for itself in Parisian luxury hospitality.
LVMH and its two newly labelled addresses in 2026
The LVMH group, controlled by Bernard Arnault, sees two of its Parisian hotels join the list of French palaces in 2026. Alongside Cheval Blanc Paris, Bulgari Paris, also opened in 2021, received the same distinction this year. Its chief executive, Rodolphe Callewaert, described the recognition as “a great source of pride” in comments to AFP.
Bulgari Paris has 76 rooms and suites, as well as a penthouse of 1,000 m² where a night’s stay reaches €50,000. The two properties now share this new accolade, alongside the Fouquet’s, the third Parisian address to enter the palace circle in this same June 2026 cohort.
With six new establishments distinguished in June 2026, France brings its total to 33 Palace-labelled hotels. Among them, three are in Paris, including Cheval Blanc Paris, which has confirmed, in just a few years, its place among the most exclusive addresses in the country.
