Shangri-La Hotel
What's so special
This hotel is the former home of Napoleon Bonaparte's great nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte the family coat of arms, lion's heads and antlers can still be seen carved into the pale stone faade. It is ideally located in the centre of Paris across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower and moments from the Trocadero.
How they rate it
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The hotel's Grand Salon "all chandeliers, parquet, gilt and mirrors" recalls the grandeur of Versailles and is among several elements of the palace now protected on the list of Monuments Historiques', says Aoife O'Riordain in The Independent. Thanks to the hotel's location, around half the rooms and suites have views of the Eiffel Tower, "and it's hard to drag yourself away from the window". The rooms feature "Gallic-Oriental fusion with Empire-style furnishings in hues of blue, ecru and white". An indoor swimming pool and spa are set to open later this year.
The menu
There are three hotel restaurants, but ensure you make a reservation at The Shang Palace, as it is "easily the city's most sophisticated Chinese restaurant".
The cost
Doubles start from €600 per night, room only. Visit www.shangri-la.com or call 00 33 1 53 67 19 98.
Pershing Hall
What's so special
This is one of Paris's smaller luxury hotels. But its setting in the mansion off the Champs-lyses that served as US General Pershing's headquarters in the first world war gives the hotel the pedigree to compete with its larger rivals.
How they rate it
"Coloured light washes and the jungle-like vertical garden cascading down the courtyard wall set the tone for a combination of contemporary design and historic grandeur that is perfect when you're after luxury hotel glamour but have had enough of all the Louis," says Natasha Edwards in The Daily Telegraph.
The rooms are "pared-back but welcoming, warmed up with lots of natural oak and the feminine touch of layers of tulle curtains and crystal ball bedposts". Be sure to stop for a cocktail under the "sexy red chandeliers" of the "buzzy" bar in the evening.
The menu
"Breakfast served in the courtyard until noon is a destination in itself." In the evening the restaurant serves modern fusion cuisine.
The cost
Prices for a double room start from €540, room only. Find out more at www.pershinghall.com or call 00 33 1 58 36 58 00.
Britain's most romantic hotels
If you are planning a special trip with your partner this year, consider one of these romantic rooms, says Lesley Gillilan in The Guardian.
In "picturesque Kingsand, a salty little village" on south-east Cornwall's Rame peninsula, lies Westcroft, a "quirky" Georgian house with three bedrooms available to guests. "Think antique beds, hand-painted murals, candlelight and the sound of the sea lapping on shingle." Doubles start from £90, bed and breakfast (Westcroftguesthouse.co.uk).
The country manor house of Austwick Hall in the Yorkshire Dales has medieval origins and "is big on log fires, flagstones and oak". The five bedrooms have "floor-scraping curtains, double-ended baths, antique rugs, half-tester beds and views." Prices start at £185 with breakfast (Austwickhall.co.uk).
In a "quiet Kemp Town backstreet a whisper from the sea, lies cool, sophisticated Kemp Townhouse", one of Brighton's finest boutique hotels with "dreamy beds, chandeliers and snazzy wet rooms". Doubles from £125 including breakfast for a four-poster room with sea views (Kemptownhousebrighton.com).
The Pig (pictured) in the New Forest, Hampshire, offers "country-house splendour without the grand prices". The former shooting lodge "is a feast of rough-luxe dcor, wood-smoke, organic wines and a home-grown menu supplied by foragers, kitchen gardeners and livestock". It's worth splashing out on a decadent Stable Yard suite from £165, room only (Thepighotel.co.uk).
