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Timeless Elegance at the Ritz Paris
There are hotels that reflect the character of a city, and others that have actively helped shape it. The Ritz Paris belongs firmly to the latter. Overlooking Place Vendôme, it has been part of the cultural and social life of the French capital for more than a century, welcoming writers, artists, designers, royalty, and figures whose lives have become inseparable from the mythology of Paris.
The hotel opened in 1898 under the direction of Swiss hotelier César Ritz, whose ideas transformed modern hospitality. From the beginning, it combined the atmosphere of a private residence with a new standard of comfort and service. Its position on Place Vendôme placed it at the center of Parisian society, while its discreet character made it a refuge for guests seeking privacy as much as grandeur.
Its history is filled with remarkable personalities. Marcel Proust observed Parisian society from its rooms, Ernest Hemingway became closely associated with its bar, and Maria Callas found privacy within its walls. Coco Chanel made the Ritz her home for more than two decades, referring to it simply as ma maison. Today, these connections remain present in suites bearing the names of some of the hotel’s most celebrated residents and guests. Ritz Paris: A Hotel of Legend
Inside, the Ritz draws heavily on French decorative tradition. Antique furniture, chandeliers, silk fabrics, gilded details, and carefully selected artworks recall the elegance of the Belle Époque without making the hotel feel like a museum. Rooms and suites vary in character, with views extending across Place Vendôme, the Grand Jardin, the rooftops of Paris, and, from certain rooms, landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and the Palais Garnier.
The Bar Hemingway remains one of the hotel’s most recognizable spaces. Named for the American writer who was a frequent visitor, it retains the intimacy of a private club, with leather chairs, photographs, books, and personal objects contributing to its literary atmosphere. Its compact scale and sense of history have made it as familiar to Parisians as it is to international guests.
Dining at the Ritz is similarly connected to the hotel’s identity. Espadon, led by chef Eugénie Béziat, received a Michelin star in 2024 and offers a contemporary interpretation of fine dining influenced by her Mediterranean background. Bar Vendôme has a more relaxed rhythm, moving from breakfast and afternoon tea to dinner, while the Ritz Bar provides an intimate setting for cocktails as the evening begins. Ritz Paris dining information
Beyond its rooms and restaurants, the hotel contains several quieter worlds of its own. The Grand Jardin offers an unexpected sense of seclusion in the center of Paris, while the Salon Proust is devoted to afternoon tea and the rituals of French pâtisserie. The Ritz Club & Spa includes the Chanel au Ritz Paris treatment rooms and a neoclassical indoor pool, creating a retreat removed from the movement of the city outside.
Yet the Ritz is perhaps best understood not as an escape from Paris but as another way of experiencing it. Its history touches fashion, literature, gastronomy, architecture, and the rituals of Parisian life. A morning on Place Vendôme, an afternoon in the garden, or a late drink at Bar Hemingway becomes part of a wider portrait of the city.
Within a journey created by The GR8 Experience, the Ritz Paris can serve as this point of connection—a place from which the city’s cultural life, private addresses, restaurants, ateliers, and historic neighborhoods gradually open up. The hotel does not need to be treated as a destination apart from Paris; its real appeal lies in how naturally it belongs to
