HÔTEL LUTETIA

How many hotels have you stayed in which have monogrammed your

initials onto your pillowcases? Where Berluti did the shoe polishing, toiletries were by Etro and the nearest boutique was Hermès? It may have a glittering pedigree since it opened its doors in 1910 – the Art Deco

Lutetia has played host to creative and literary luminaries like Josephine Baker, Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent and Catherine Deneuve – but the Left

Bank Palace doesn’t rest on its laurels. Since its all-encompassing four-year revamp, which meticulously preserved the history of the property while subtly adding in all the high-tech advancements required by today’s sophisticated traveller, the hotel has upped the ante drawing in

the same discerning crowd that has always fêted this Saint Germain icon. You’ll feel the pedigree of The Set Hotels – Amsterdam’s Conservatorium

and London’s Hotel Cafe Royal are also part of their portfolio – but the distinctive Parisian character of Lutetia is all its own. Located in the heart

of the city’s vibrant artistic district, the location may lure you, but the expertise of the staff – who are able to magic up a surprise birthday party

for a two-year old with as much finesse as being able to secure tables at three-Michelin starred tables across the city – and the sheer comfort of

the state-of-the-art rooms, is what sets this palace apart from the rest. Once ensconced in one of the 184 completely sound-proofed rooms or

suites, you’ll see the attention-to-detail when it comes not just to aesthetics but to creature comforts. If you’re looking to go all out, book the two-level Eiffel Suite at the summit of the property, complete with an elaborate 800-square-foot terrace facing the symbol of the city. The only downside of this hotel? You won’t want to leave its comforting confines.

NATASHA FARUQUE Doubles from about AED 4,515; hotellutetia.com