With a hotel rating system of one to five stars, it is easy to sort out which kind of lodging you are looking to reserve in France.
France is rich in historical buildings that now house hotels. The country hopes to raise the prestige of this kind of accommodation by creating a "Palace" category. This five-star rating will be assigned to a hotel if it fulfills precise criteria upon inspection.
Before an establishment can even dream of receiving this new ultimate rating it must already have a four-star classification, the highest ranking in the current system.
To obtain the "Palace" luxury rating, the hotel must also reside in an historic building in a prestigious setting, with services and related infrastructure (restaurants, fitness centre, spa, high-tech gadgetry etc..), and a staff totally dedicated to the customer.
The first hotels to receive a "Palace" rating should be known within a month or two.