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View IssueSpending just two days in Paris is like eating just two bites of cake. C'est impossible! For a maximalist like me, just the thought of packing for said trip is enough to make me go en Seine. But put but fitting. The bucket list of extraordinary things to do in Paris—that one can only do in Paris—is endless. As American humorist James Thurber observed, "Paris is a post-graduate course in everything."
For such a whirlwind stay, I needed an expert fluent in Parisian art de vivre. Enter Sophie de Freitas, a Paris-based travel concierge for the high-net-worth set, recommended by a jet-setting girlfriend in Miami. With a résumé at legendary couture maisons, de Freitas was savvy and discreet—and I was eager to absorb whatever superpower she has that allows her to turn travel into an art form.
"Paris is a post-graduate course in everything."
In discussing accommodations, de Freitas was very decisive on the subject of "palace" hotels—five-star-plus properties awarded a special distinction by the French Ministry of Tourism. Staying at one of these landmark palace hotels, which offer top-drawer amenities such as Michelin-star restaurants and private butler service, "makes a huge difference," de Freitas told me.
The Palace Hotel Experience
After reviewing Paris's 12 current palace hotels—many I recognize from my friends' vacay posts on my Instagram feed—I start narrowing down the choices, asking myself the hard questions. What's more life-enhancing: A bridal party's worth of flowers throughout the hotel and a three-Michelin-starred restaurant (Four Seasons George V), or my own private elevator entrance and 24-hour personal butler who can send up room service from Nobu plus help me pack (Le Royal Monceau–Raffles)? The butler won out.
Le Royal Monceau, a 1928 property whose illustrious guest roster includes Josephine Baker, Ernest Hemingway, Madonna and various maharajas, was redesigned by Philippe Starck in 2010. The art-filled palace hotel has its own art gallery and cinema for private screenings and staffs a team of art concierges for private tours outside of museum hours.
Private Access to The Louvre
How does an early-morning or after-hours private tour of The Louvre when the world's most famous museum is closed to the public sound? Imagine spending quality time with Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, or marveling at the lavishly appointed (and typically off-limits) Napoléon III Apartments in the Richelieu Wing. Incroyable!
A private appointment at the atelier of Chanel, Hermès or Maison Schiaparelli is a quintessential fashion experience, de Freitas suggested, allowing a rare glimpse of the inner workings of Parisian haute couture. The Chanel flagship boutique at 31 Rue Cambon is a global fashion pilgrimage—with only the privileged few gaining access to the mirrored staircase leading to Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's private apartment on the second level. Closed to the public, the opulent space was used for entertaining only (the designer kept a room at The Ritz) and has been preserved with Chanel's black lacquer Coromandel screens, lion figurines (she was a Leo) and gifts from famous suitors.
Culinary Excellence
The Chanel lovefest continues on the six-minute walk to the storied Ritz Paris, where Chanel maintained a suite until her death in 1971 at age 87. Recharge with traditional afternoon tea service at the hotel's posh Salon Proust, or something stronger at the cozy Bar Hemingway, named for the legendary American writer, a celebrated Ritz regular. Pro Tip: If you want your friendly/lady/employees to ever talk to you again, save a few minutes to stop by the Ritz boutique for classic Paris gifts to take home (or have shipped).
Of the many exceptional restaurants in Paris, there are three I've carefully selected and singled out. All high-concept, each will nourish both body and soul, reminding you of its culinary greatness long after the meal has ended.
Arpège, Chef Alain Passard's pristine temple of haute cuisine, has held its three Michelin stars since 1996, leading with a field-to-table philosophy that gives vegetables a starring role. Passard sources his glorious produce directly from his own gardens. Table by Bruno Verjus, a 24-seat, two-Michelin-starred restaurant known for its seasonal, organic ingredients from small producers, has a warm, counter-style setting with an open kitchen where diners watch dishes prepared à la minute—everything made to order. Don't miss the dark chocolate and caper tartlet topped with caviar.
Versailles After Hours
At Plénitude at Cheval Blanc Paris, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant inside LVMH's flagship hotel, Chef Arnaud Donckele places sauces at the center of the culinary experience—most memorably a warm shellfish reduction sharpened with seaweed and citrus. The seasonal dégustation menus feature vegan options—a welcome rarity in Paris.
You begin with a stop at the famed Marché Aux Puces, the largest antiques market in the world, where interior designers and celebrities—including Kate Moss—hunt for vintage treasures. To conserve both time and sanity, go early with a private antique consultant in tow to vet potential purchases and arrange for shipping.
From Les Puces, it's a short 40-minute car ride to the breathtakingly grand Palace of Versailles, our cream home and museum of French history which serves as a royal residence for French kings starting in the 1600s. In a genius move, the on-property Le Grand Contrôle, Airelles Château de Versailles allows guests to move in, as it were, wandering the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's Apartments at leisure. The gardens, vast and perfectly manicured, feel even more expansive when experienced without the crowds.
"The gardens, vast and perfectly manicured, feel even more expansive when experienced without the crowds."
Not unlike a private wing of the palace, the vibe is opulence overload: High ceilings with crystal chandeliers and ornate moldings, Petit Trianon-inspired canopy beds, period furnishings and parquet floors are unique to each suite, the escapism heightened by idyllic views of the Orangery Garden.
The hotel's Airelles Spa by Valmont beckons with its 15-meter heated indoor pool, conveniently located near the Léonard Salon, named in honor of Marie-Antoinette's favorite hairdresser. A private tasting of Chilean wines on the estate grounds is followed by lunch at the hotel's Ducasse au Château de Versailles, which combines theatrical staging and contemporary French cuisine served on vintage porcelain plates—a perfect way to savor the many wonders of a perfect Paris weekend. Au revoir, dear friends.
