In a bid to boost the country’s attractiveness to affluent tourists, government tourism agency Maison de la France, has granted a new ‘palace’ rating – which surpasses the ‘5-star’ rating – to eight top luxury hotels, reports Routard.
The ‘palace’ hotels were selected by a jury composed of not only people in the industry, but also writers and journalists, an architect, and a movie producer. The establishments had to meet certain criteria such as location, historical significance, room comfort, personalized service, multilingual staff, and health and spa facilities.
Among the hotels that will hold the title for the next five years, four are located in Paris: the Meurice, the Plaza Athenée, the Bristol and Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.
The other four are located in the provinces and include Les Airelles and the Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, and the Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Hotels with this new classification are synonymous with ultra-luxurious, and as others meet the criteria, there will be more added to the list.