This Le Meurice Paris Review and Video is part of a trip report on Paris including luxury hotel stays at Le Bristol, Le Meurice and the Shangri-La Paris, along with Michelin-star dining.
Le Meurice joined the Dorchester Collection in 1997, but it has a storied history. It was founded by Charles-Augustin Meurice, who already had opened a hotel in Calais, the port of entry for many English visitors to France. By the mid-1800s, following the hotel's move to Rue de Rivoli, the hotel attracted wealthy guests and high society. Particularly notable guests include Salvador Dali, who spent about a month each year at Le Meurice over 3 decades, in a suite that had housed King Alphonse XIII of Spain; English author Rudyard Kipling; Ginger Rogers; Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; Franklin D. Roosevelt; the hotel has also been featured in films such as “Is Paris Burning?” about the liberation of Paris towards the end of WWII, and Wood Allen's “Midnight in Paris.”
Here's my Le Meurice Paris YouTube Video Review; Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube to be alerted to new videos.
TravelSort Clients enjoy Dorchester Diamond Club benefits at Le Meurice:
- Guaranteed one category upgrade at time of booking for guest rooms
- Junior Suites: upgrade subject to availability at time of arrival
- Credit of EUR 100 units of local currency once per stay
- Daily full breakfast (breakfast menu only) available in any outlet including in-room dining, for up to two guests per room
- Daily unlimited Internet access for unlimited number of devices
Le Meurice Location and Check-in
When Le Meurice was opened in 1815 it was on Rue Saint-Honore, but in 1835 it moved to its current location at 228 Rue de Rivoli, across from the Tuileries Garden. It's a very convenient address, just a 2 minute walk from the Tuileries Metro Station (line 1), a 13-15 min. walk to the Louvre, a 10 minute walk across the Seine to the Musee d'Orsay, and a 20-25 min. walk to Saint Germain.
We were escorted from the front desk through the lobby restaurant to the elevators. In 2016, Philippe Starck reimagined Le Meurice's restaurants; Le Dali, a favorite for Paris afternoon tea, has a draped ceiling designed by his daughter, Ara Starck:
Here's some of the quieter lobby seating, closer to the elevators and just outside the main Le Dali restaurant:
I loved that on each floor of the hotel, there are rose bouquets. Paris hotels are so much more romantic than NYC hotels, where fresh flowers have all but disappeared, even from many luxury hotels.
Le Meurice Executive Room
Our room, 426, was an Executive Room with an entry foyer, bedroom, and spacious bathroom.
Executive Rooms are the largest rooms, at 484 square feet (other rooms include Classic Rooms, Superior Rooms, and Deluxe Rooms), and king bedded Executive Rooms can accommodate up to 2 adults and 1 child, on an extra bed. As with Superior and Deluxe Rooms, there's a choice of one king bed or two twin beds.
All rooms face the interior courtyard, so don't expect any street or city views, but these rooms are very peaceful and quiet.
There were some lovely welcome amenities waiting for us: champagne, selection Alain Ducasse; some chocolates; and for our son, scrumptious chocolate chunk cookies and two types of 100% juice, pear and raspberry. The hotel even generously was willing to switch out the champagne for a bottle of red wine, since we prefer wine to champagne.
Our son also excitedly opened the bag placed on his bed to find a new cuddly friend: a plush dog similar to the hotel's mascot dog.
We loved the spacious marble bathroom, with its double sinks, separate shower and bathtub, and even a seated vanity that was handy for our son to do some homework at, when my husband or I was working at the desk in the bedroom.
Presidential Apartment: Dali Suite
If you're a fan of Dali or would simply like to spread out in over 1600 square feet of space, a Presidential Apartment, specifically this one that Salvador Dali stayed in, could be for you. There's a large living area that could be used for private cocktail parties:
The bedroom also features a sitting area by the fireplace:
And the marble bathroom is beautiful:
Breakfast at Le Meurice Alain Ducasse
Our breakfast was hurried due to needing to meet a guide for our visit to the Musee d'Orsay, but incredibly delicious in the 15 minutes we had for it. See our video earlier in the post for images of the Le Meurice Alain Ducasse restaurant. And don't forget to look up to admire the ornate ceiling:
We didn't have time for cooked breakfast options, but I recommend leaving more time than we did to order them and savor breakfast. Here's the menu:
We started off with a smoothie shot and fresh squeezed juice, then my husband and I enjoyed cappuccinos while our son tried a hot chocolate. I love that Le Meurice's hot chocolate is rich, thick, and not too sweet.
There were flaky croissants and baguettes, but the true highlight was an incredible almond kugelhopf. I'd go back for breakfast for that pastry alone, it was that good.
The Verdict
In addition to its storied history, Le Meurice is superbly situated for a visit to Paris, walking distance to the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Opera Garnier, and St. Germain. Our Executive Room was comfortable for our short stay, and we especially loved the beautiful marble bathroom. For late spring to early autumn, I'd recommend a room or suite with a view of the Tuileries, although for our late fall stay, our courtyard view room was fine and very quiet. Our son loved his welcome gift of a plush dog, and the Little Prince bath products, and we enjoyed our chocolate chunk cookies.
Restaurant Le Dali is a very popular spot with visitors and locals alike, for afternoon tea and casual meals, so Le Meurice is great if you like a hotel that has a lively feel to its public spaces. Our hurried breakfast at Le Meurice Alain Ducasse was absolutely perfect, with our server working hard to ensure we could enjoy as wonderful a breakfast as possible in the 15 minutes we had, before departing to meet our guide. The almond kugelhopf is some of the best I've had, and my son's decadent dark, rich hot chocolate is the kind you only taste in Paris' best luxury hotels and cafes.
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Disclosure: We paid a travel professional rate for our stay. The opinions expressed in this post are mine.
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