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Five Great Parisian Hotel Lobbies
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By: Lee Tulloch, Issue 35 – Winter 2008
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(Hotel Lobbies – Paris, France)
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THE MARK OF A REAL LOVE AFFAIR WITH LOBBIES IS TO WRITE A NOVEL ABOUT THEM. HERE ARE ONE AUTHOR’S TOP FIVE PARISIAN CHOICES.
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ONE of my most memorable luxury hotel experiences was at The Carlton Hotel at Cannes on the French Riviera. I was covering the film festival and had been staying in a dive out of town because Cannes was overbooked. Luckily, I was able to move into The Carlton the day after the awards ceremony. Five star hotels are wonderful at any time, but when you’ve been staying at a hotel with only half a star the night before, they’re absolute bliss! I used the Carlton as a model for the fictional Grand Hotel Riviera in my new novel The Woman in the Lobby. As for Paris, some of the best hotel lobbies should have stories of their own.
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1. Hotel de Crillon. Situated right on the Place de Concord and next door to the American Embassy, this is the grandest of grand hotels and yet it doesn’t feel stuffy. Leonard Bernstein lived here when he was in Paris and there’s a slightly eccentric, arty, fashiony crowd that takes drinks or tea in the Wintergarden off the dazzling lobby.
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Hotel de Crillon
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2. Hotel Regina. Possibly the most beautiful lobby in Paris as it retains all its original Belle Époque features, including a wood and glass revolving door at the entrance. It’s right opposite the Louvre at the Place des Pyramids and yet it’s not as well known as the Ritz or Meurice nearby.
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Hotel Regina
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3. Hotel Costes. This fashion-crowd hang-out can be a bit obnoxious when the prêt-a-porter or couture is happening, but the sexy lobby bar is a real scene if you’re looking for a place where celebrities, media types and high-class hookers mix.
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Hotel Costes
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4. Hotel George V. Spectacular, inventive flower arrangements and opulent furnishings make this hotel one of the favourites of the truly well heeled. A drink in the lobby lounge will cost a fortune but it’s worth it for the passing parade of elegant guests.
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Hotel George V
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5. Plaza Athenee. The lobby itself, while suitably luxurious, is more an entrance than a place to while away the hours. But the long hallway that is La Galerie des Gobelins restaurant is fabulous for taking tea or drinks and people-watching. In Winter, the courtyard garden that it faces turns into an ice-skating rink.
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Plaza Anthenee
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