If there’s one thing Travel + Leisure readers know, it’s that we should all be spending more time in Paris. Bien sûr. Évidemment. The City of Light welcomes striking new hotel talent this year ahead of the 2024 Olympics — including Hôtel Dame Des Arts on the Left Bank and Martin Brudnizki–designed Le Grand Mazarin on the Right. But this year’s World’s Best Awards survey winners give us a glimpse into classic Parisian luxury, with longtime favorites like Le Meurice (voted No. 6) and Ritz Paris (No. 5).
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
Courtesy of Le Meurice
What Readers Loved
One hotel that keeps climbing the World’s Best Award charts? Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, which a T+L reader described as “the crown jewel of Paris,” praising the rooms as “some of the most beautiful accommodations I have ever experienced.” Last year, the hotel, which just opened a chic new restaurant, Nonos par Paul Pairet, rose from No. 9 to No. 4. And this year, it’s on the podium at No. 2. Also movin’ on up is Saint James Paris (No. 9) in the 16th arrondissement. The Relais & Châteaux property is a newcomer to the WBA list and just got a stunning refresh, which also landed the hotel on T+L’s 2023 It List.
It’s clear from this year’s winners that our readers choose their Paris hotels based not only on location, but also on food and drink. Of Le Bristol Hotel (No. 4), one respondent, who loved all three on-site restaurants, noted, “The Bar with its BAD (Bristol After Dark) evenings are excellent.” Ritz Paris has long been known for Bar Hemingway, and now has the Ritz Bar to further tempt visitors in search of a potent Parisian cocktail. So, it follows that our No. 1 hotel this year, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, is also a celebrated culinary landmark — with its newest restaurant earning a Michelin star nine weeks after opening. Read on to learn why the 110-year-old Paris icon was named the city’s top hotel by T+L readers.
The Winner
Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Courtesy of Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Located on Avenue Montaigne within stumbling distance of the Seine, Hôtel Plaza Athénée is perhaps the most recognizable hotel in Paris, with its vine-covered façade and bright-red awnings, not to mention its cameos in Emily in Paris and Sex and the City. The experience at this 208-room Dorchester Collection hotel can be summed up in four words: “best hotel in Paris,” per one voter. Another discerning T+L reader said, “I have traveled to some of the nicest hotels in the world and have never had a better experience with facility staff. If you can get in, stay here!” Make sure you hit all four on-site restaurants during your stay: Jean Imbert au Plaza Athénée, which opened in January 2022 and landed a Michelin star two months later; chic brasserie Le Relais Plaza; La Galerie, known for its decadent pastries; and of course, La Cour Jardin — its lush, tucked-away courtyard is one of the most romantic spots in Paris.
T+L Reader
I have traveled to some of the nicest hotels in the world and have never had a better experience with facility staff than at Hôtel Plaza Athénée. If you can get in, stay here!
— T+L Reader
The Full List
Reader Score: 98.50
2. Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel
Reader Score: 98.49
Reader Score: 97.27
Reader Score: 96.64
5. Ritz Paris
Reader Score: 96.15
6. Le Meurice
Reader Score: 96.00
7. Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal
Reader Score: 95.16
8. Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
Reader Score: 94.48
Reader Score: 93.33
Reader Score: 90.95