Let’s talk about the Lancaster Hotel. This beautiful haussmannien hotel, located right off the Champs-Elysées, is a historical marvel.
The place’s intense calmness creates a stark contrast with the bustling Champs-Elysées.
It is an iconic destination for all those who love cinema. Indeed, this is where Elizabeth Taylor’s and Richard Burton’s romance unfolded and where others, such as Marlène Dietrich, Clark Gable or Grace Kelly, frequently stayed.
This elegant institution protects its guests’ privacy rather fiercely. The five-star hotel offers a limited selection of 45 rooms and 11 en-suites, which adds to its exclusive character.
Very discrete, it closes its doors to the public at an undisclosed time and can only be accessed by guests thereafter.
Such precautions help create the intimate feel one gets when one stays at the Lancaster.
This exclusiveness is proven by the existence of the Marlène Dietrich suite, which was named after the star not after a brief stay but after a three-year residency, during which she re-decorated the room. She was never able to collect her piano, which still resides room 401.
‘Monsieur’, the restaurant, offers an equally intimate, private, exclusive experience: the chef’s table, which is installed within the grand kitchens of the hotel and allows you to enjoy the chef’s maestria, as well as your food.
The decoration is a successful mixture of old and new: marquetery, ancient clocks and art punctuate a wonderfully timeless modernity. Boris Pastoukhoff – the last Tsar’s painter – used to pay his visits with works of art, which now cover many of the hotel’s walls.
Given the importance of his contribution to the hotel’s atmosphere, Boris Pastoukhoff was also attributed an eponymous en-suite.
Last but not least, the service is amazing, simple and warm. I perfectly understand Robert Capa’s decision to abandon his room at the Ritz to stay here instead – what an ideal residence.
I have never stayed here, given that I live less than three minutes away but I do enjoy a glass of champagne in the hotel’s incredibly serene patio as soon as the weather starts warming up.
September 14, 2018
The Lancaster hotel – 7 rue de Berri – 75008 Paris – Website
