4 days ago
Sleep like a Princess in the Glow of the Eiffel Tower at Shangri-La Paris
Sleep like a Princess in the Glow of the Eiffel Tower at Shangri-La Paris originally appeared on L.A. Mag.
As a girl who read Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Princess and the Pea over and over again, I have long dreamed of sleeping in a royal palace. So, when the Shangri-La Group invited me to visit such a palace, a chance to bed down in pure opulence like a pampered princess in a room aglow with the warm and sometimes twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine river, I packed my tiara.
The five-star Shangri-La Paris was once the private residence of Napoleon Bonaparte's grandnephew, the botanist and member of the turn-of-the-century Parisian literati crowd, Prince Roland Bonaparte. The hotel now has 100 perfectly appointed rooms and suites that Shangri-La likes to describe as an embodiment of 'the quintessence of Asian hospitality and French art de vivre,' and it did not disappoint. The Shangri-La Paris is situated in what is known as the city's 16th arrondissement, which makes it centrally located to luxury fashion houses, café life and museums, including the Musée d'Art Moderne. Even better, travelers are invited to experience a host of curated experiences that lean into its new international campaign, "Eat, Play, Love," and that we did. Eating was pure joy at Shang Palace, the fine dining establishment that offers haute Asian cuisine, which was so extraordinary that it's easy to see why it earned the first Michelin Star for any Chinese eatery in Paris. Then there was the butler curated Pique Nique Chic, the fancy French way to picnic, a the Champ de Mars under the world-famous La Dame de Fer, or Iron Lady's. Nothing like toasting breathtaking views with some bubbly and artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, fresh fruits, and oh-so elegant finger sandwiches.
Play came in the form of zipping through picturesque Paris in a vintage Citroën 2CV for a visit to the cobbled streets of Montmartre, an artists' mecca centered by the world famous Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur, the highest summit in the city that offers commanding 360-views. The Shangri-La organized a private visit to the Montmartre Museum, once the home of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who painted two of his exquisite works, "La Balançoire" and "Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette," in its gorgeous gardens. As part of this spectacular and unique experience, a local artist sketched my portrait, which is a perfect Parisian memento I will treasure.
For Love, it came in the form of self-love with a glorious massage at the hotel's Chi spa, centered around an indoor 56-foot infinity pool awash in natural light.
And, of course, the love that comes with exploring Paris on foot along the River Seine, which runs through the heart of the city of light. All of it made me feel very much like a princess
This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
