Best for: a luxurious, celebratory family experience
If the mighty Peninsula’s coveted address taking over a whole block near the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysées (it’s named “Little Versailles”) is not enough to impress your aloof teen, wait until you step inside. There is a dreamy, light-filled cream and silver lobby with soaring ceilings, Le Lobby, the main restaurant, a museum-like masterpiece, L’Oiseau Blanc (two-Michelin stars) on the rooftop, and a sultry spa, hydrotherapy rooms, swimming pool and gym. There are classical, decadent interconnecting rooms and suites, in rich chocolate, bronze and cream. The polished junior suites can be interconnected for families with teens, which were impressive with the sheer amount of space, including vast dressing rooms, ensuring privacy for all.
The swish Peninsula Spa – the largest luxury hotel spa in Paris, no less – should be on your radar. It has a glassy 20-metre pool with a lifeguard and fragrant steam rooms that I didn’t want to leave. Go for a Biologique Recherche facial while the kids swim to a classical music soundtrack or hit the gym.
For children who are interested in cookery (my son), there’s a fabulous culinary academy with bespoke pastry classes that teens can join. There’s lots to do inside the grand hotel, in fact it could be your destination, but Paris awaits. Being set near the Arc de Triomphe and Champ-Élysées, there’s tons of cultural spots for teens: Petit Palais, Grand Palais, Musée de l’Orangerie, Musée d’Orsay – we found getting the Batobus a fun way to explore Parisian districts and sights in the heat. We loved spending time at the Musée d’Orsay and the Petit Palais (both near the hotel) and wandering through Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
At the beautiful, light-bathed Le Lobby restaurant – the tuna ceviche, steak frites and red mullet plates were standout, and the famed hazelnut French toast made my son’s day. Staff are amiable and meticulous; Antoine looked after our family so well. The restaurant has to be the most aspirational breakfast spot, with black-and-white bedecked staff, dainty, handcrafted breads and pastries, silver pots of coffee and eggs made to order.
Make sure to book a fun lunch at LiLi, the hotel’s modern Cantonese restaurant, for excellent dim sum with teens – the two Michelin-star hero restaurant helmed by Chef David Bizet, L’Oiseau Blanc, is mostly for adults and has an exclusive private balcony table. The cherry on top is the Golden Hour rooftop bar with super views of the Iron Lady and Paris; our teens loved visiting it and taking pictures.
Ask for Inès at the concierge desk, who had all the best suggestions in the locality, including local bakeries, brasseries and tips on which tourist sights to skip and where to embrace real Paris – our driver kindly stopped by a local bakery on the way back to the Eurostar. The Peninsula Paris has combined all the best ingredients for a magical Paris experience.