Paris

Paris rewards those who return. Each visit reveals something new — a neighborhood not yet explored, a restaurant discovered by chance, a museum that reframes everything you thought you knew about art. It is a city that asks nothing more of you than to slow down and pay attention.

​

Where to Stay

The Hôtel du Louvre sits steps from the museum that shares its name, making it one of the most ideally positioned addresses in the city for first-time visitors. The Hôtel Westminster in the Opéra district occupies a quieter, more elegant pocket of Paris — Cartier is next door, Place Vendôme a short walk, and the Opéra metro station around the corner, connecting you to the entire city. The Hôtel Regina on the Rue de Rivoli is worth stepping inside for the lobby alone — a beautifully preserved Belle Époque interior that stops you in your tracks. The Renaissance Paris Vendôme rounds out the luxury options in this area, with impeccably appointed rooms and bath amenities to match. Near the Arc de Triomphe, the Hôtel Napoléon offers a more intimate alternative in the heart of the 8th arrondissement — I met with their team recently and came away impressed. It is particularly well suited for women traveling together, with spacious rooms that accommodate twin bedding comfortably.

​

The Eiffel Tower

No introduction necessary — but the experience of seeing it for the first time, or the fiftieth, never quite loses its effect. Book tickets in advance and consider an evening visit when the tower sparkles on the hour.

​

Museums

Paris has more world-class museums than any city deserves, but for Impressionism specifically, four stand apart. The Musée d'Orsay houses the definitive collection — Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas — in a breathtaking converted railway station. The Musée de l'Orangerie is smaller and more intimate, built around Monet's monumental Nymphéas panels in two oval rooms designed by the artist himself. The Musée Marmottan holds the largest Monet collection in the world, including the painting — Impression, Soleil Levant — that gave the movement its name. In Montmartre, a small museum dedicated to Renoir occupies the vineyard property where he lived and worked.

​

Montmartre

The hillside neighborhood of Montmartre rewards an afternoon of wandering. Sacré-Cœur sits at the summit with a view over the city that is hard to match. The streets below — Place du Tertre, the vineyard, the artists' studios — retain a character that much of Paris has lost.

​

A Day Trip Worth Taking

Monet's garden at Giverny, about an hour from Paris, is where the paintings come to life. The water lilies, the Japanese bridge, the riot of color across the flower garden — it is one of those rare places that exceeds expectations. Book tickets well in advance, particularly in spring and early summer when the garden is at its peak.

​

Notre-Dame

After years of restoration following the 2019 fire, Notre-Dame has reopened and it is extraordinary. Words fall short — it is worth seeing for yourself.

​

The Left Bank

Across the river, the Left Bank moves at a different pace. Le Bon Marché is Paris's most elegant department store — unhurried, beautifully curated, and a world apart from the Champs-Élysées. The cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés are ideal for an afternoon of watching the city go by. And on the Rue du Bac, the Chapelle de la Médaille Miraculeuse is a place of quiet significance — the site where St. Catherine Labouré received her visions, her incorrupt remains still present in the chapel today.

​

Where to Dine

Café de la Paix near the Opéra is my personal favorite — grand Belle Époque dining room, an exceptional seafood menu, and the best millefeuille in Paris. Reservations are essential and a credit card is required to hold your table. Le Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon is as much an experience as a meal — one of the most ornate dining rooms in the city, worth a visit even if you are just passing through. Brasserie Mollard, near the Gare Saint-Lazare, is a beautifully tiled Art Nouveau room with a loyal local following.

​

On the Seine

A dinner cruise is a quintessentially Parisian evening, and for those who want the best, Le Calife is the one to book. I have taken clients and friends alike — the experience consistently delivers. Reservations are hard to come by, so plan ahead.

​

Shopping

Skip the Champs-Élysées — it is crowded and has lost much of its character, though Louis Vuitton does maintain its flagship there for those who make the pilgrimage. The real shopping is in the Opéra and Vendôme districts: Cartier, the jewelers of Place Vendôme, and two of Paris's great department stores — Galeries Lafayette and Printemps — just steps from the Opéra metro station, one of the most well-connected transit hubs in the city. Galeries Lafayette is more than a department store — it houses an exceptional selection of luxury goods and hosts fashion shows that are open to visitors, making it a destination in its own right.