Ritz Paris 5* L

Strictly speaking, there is only one Ritz: the opulent Belle Époque edifice at 15 Place Vendôme, founded by César Ritz himself in partnership with Chef Auguste Escoffier. For many decades, it stood in a class of its own at the pinnacle of the luxury hotel world — a world it played a major role in creating. While it is far from the only hotel of its kind today, a 21st-century renovation has returned it to the glory of its early days, and in spirit, at least, it is once again worthy of legendary guests such as Chopin, Proust, and Coco Chanel, all of whom considered the Ritz a second home.

Architect Thierry Despont was tasked not with transforming the Ritz but improving it, while remaining true to its essential character. His adjustments are smart and subtle: higher ceilings, added windows, and a retractable glass roof atop the Espadon restaurant, creating more open space and light. The result is what the Ritz calls "modernized but with discretion." The rooms and suites remain classic in aspect, retaining their iconic bedside tulip lamps and valet bells beside the baths. The opulent Prestige Suites, named for the hotel's most famous guests and residents — including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frédéric Chopin, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor — rank among the most extravagant accommodations in Paris.

Under the glass ceiling and in the shade of the linden trees in the Grand Jardin, the Ritz Paris is a place where dreams come to life. The Michelin-starred restaurants offer a journey through high gastronomy, with the One-Michelin-Star Espadon leading the way. The Salon Proust is the place to enjoy teatime à la française, and no visit would be complete without stopping by the Bar Hemingway, filled with relics from its namesake's life. The Ritz Bar and the Bar Vendôme restaurant further enrich the legendary dining scene. The Ritz Club, with its sumptuous pool and the Chanel au Ritz Paris area, elevates wellbeing to an art form, while the spa and club are spacious enough to contain some lesser Parisian hotels in their entirety. If Paris is a movable feast, the Ritz is its key — a key that opens the doors to a private home where dreams never cease to unfold.