In the French hotel industry, the term palace is particularly reserved for certain establishments, in a strict sense, specifically being used to describe a luxury hotel. Since 2010, the title has been officially designated by Atout France as a grade classification of certain French hotels, around half of which are located in Paris. It is exclusively awarded to five-star hotels offering the highest level of service to their customers. At the end of August 2017, only 31 hotels out of 343 have been admitted to this category.
Entrance to Le Meurice in Paris, an official Palace hotel
Le Meurice is a Brunei-owned five-star luxury hotel in the 1st arrondissement of Paris opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli. From the Rue de Rivoli, it stretches to the Rue du Mont Thabor. The hotel was opened in 1815. It received the "Palace" distinction from the French government in 2011. Le Meurice is owned and operated by the Dorchester Collection, a luxury hotel operator based in London. The hotel has a staff of over 400 and houses 160 rooms decorated in the Louis XVI style, which start at US$1,235 per night.
Le Meurice
Hotel lobby
Salvador Dalí, pictured at the Hôtel Meurice, spent about a month of each year over 30 years in the old Royal Suite Alphonse XIII.
Image: Hotel Meurice Paris
