Sports-inspired cocktails, skateboard art, chocolate sculptures, and wellness programmes designed for athletes await the Games’ well-heeled guests.
The 2024 Summer Olympics are just over a month away, and Paris is abuzz. While locals are approaching the Games with a typically Parisian nonchalance, the hospitality industry has been running the marathon for months.
However, securing a 5-star stay during the event might require some extra planning. Several prestigious properties, including the Mandarin Oriental Paris and SO/Paris, are fully booked or reserved for private buyouts. The iconic Ritz Paris is also already at capacity.
But fear not. Despite these reservations, a number of Paris’s finest hotels are still rolling out the red carpet for Olympic guests, with special amenities and adjustments designed to make a stay during this historic event truly unforgettable.
Hôtel Barriere Fouquet’s Paris
To celebrate the Olympic Games, the Hôtel Barriere Fouquet’s Paris on the corner of the Champs-Élysées, just steps from the Arc de Triomphe, is delighting guests with a special treat in honor of its landmark neighbor: a detailed (and edible) rendering of the Arc—in chocolate. Designed by the hotel’s talented pastry chef Anthony Coquereau, this sugary masterpiece will be placed in all guest rooms and suites for the entire duration of the Games. The creation is an homage to both Paris and the Olympic spirit and atop the arc stands a graceful gymnast, frozen in mid-air, symbolizing athletic prowess. The base of the creation depicts the Olympic track and stadium, completing the celebratory scene.
Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel
The Hôtel de Crillon is one of the poshest palace hotels in Paris, known for originally hosting the world’s most famous debutante balls. It certainly isn’t synonymous with something as déclassé as skateboarding. But this city can make anything fashion, and skateboarding is no different. After making its Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021, skateboarding will be taking Paris by storm. The hotel, located on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, is teaming up with the Skateroom, an art and skate for social change platform, to host an exclusive exhibition featuring works from renowned artists from around the world—including Cindy Sherman, Juergen Teller, Jenny Holzer, Ai Weiwei, Jeff Koons, and Andy Warhol—reprinted onto skateboards on display. The exhibition is open to the public, but select pieces will also be installed in a number of the hotel’s suites. A limited number of works created exclusively by French artist Inès Longevial will be available for sale, starting at $200 for a solo skateboard and $545 for a triptych, with 10 percent of proceeds going back to Skateroom. The exhibition will be open from June 18 through September 14.
Hôtel Lutetia
Hôtel Lutetia, the only palace hotel on the Left Bank, has a new partnership with Therabody. It’s curating a selection of new elevated experiences that enable guests to prioritize their health, wellbeing, and recovery just as the Olympians would. The collab takes advantage of the full range of Therabody’s health and wellness products: Guests will have in-room access to a selection of products, such as the SmartGoggles eye mask and massager, RecoveryAir JetBoots for legs, and a Theragun Pro. You’ll also have the opportunity to book the fully outfitted Therabody Wellness Suite to rejuvenate and recover with expanded treatments, including full body massages with dual Theraguns as well as enhanced facials with the TheraFace Pro facial massager.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée
The Hôtel Plaza Athénée is the place to see and be seen during Fashion Week, and the two weeks during the Olympics will be no exception. Recognizable for its famously bright-red awnings on Avenue Montaigne, alongside some of the most expensive stores in the world, the hotel has partnered with Mathieu Forget (a.k.a. Forgetmat), a celebrated photographer known for his levitation artistry, for a unique collaboration bringing together the worlds of art and sports. Forget has created five captivating photographic compositions featuring athletes seemingly defying gravity within the hotel’s iconic spaces.
Le Meurice
In celebration of the Summer Olympics, Le Meurice, known as the original Parisian Palace hotel, located directly across from the Tuileries Gardens, is celebrating wellness on the inside and outside. The hotel’s Maison Valmont spa is offering a limited-time “vitality and serenity” treatment, a body and facial experience combining massages with Valmont’s signature products and techniques to refresh guests both physically and mentally. To further enhance the wellness experience, guests can enjoy Le Meurice’s new wellness menus created by chef Clémentine Bouchon at Restaurant Le Dalí.
Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris
Located in the chic 8th Arrondissement, just steps from Arc de Triomphe and Champs Élysées, Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris is launching a menu of Olympics-inspired cocktails as well as several limited-time exhibitions within the hotel. Drawing inspiration from past host cities of previous Summer Olympics, the special cocktail menu includes the Mexico 1968, a twist on the classic margarita with hints of kumquat and coriander; the Barcelona 1992, inspired by Rebujito, the traditional summer drink in Spain, with aromatic Spanish wine, tomato liqueur, and herbal soda water (intended to be a low ABV option); and the London 2012, a gin-based classic modern cocktail with grapefruit juice, bergamot, and other botanicals. And of course, there’s the Paris 2024, a tribute to the classic French 75, featuring blanc de blanc Champagne with a pear and apple-flavored gin. These cocktails can also be made as non-alcoholic beverages.
The hotel is also hosting a few exhibitions dedicated to the Olympics, including À la Parisienne, which was conceived to resemble a miniature Paris (running June 26 through August 11); a collaboration with the French publication Paris Match to display 24 photographs featuring legendary athletes and timeless moments with past Olympic heroes from the 1950s through the 1970s (running July 14 through September 8); and a museum-style exhibition, More than a Dream, in collaboration with Paris City Hall (also running July 14 through September 8). Honoring Paris’s historic ties to the Games, the exhibit will explore the history of the global sporting event along with significant memorabilia, including Muhammad Ali’s boxing glove with his annotations from Rome 1960 Summer Olympics, a basketball signed by the NBA’s Dream Team (including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and Scottie Pippen), and torches from previous Olympiads.
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
There are some hotels that are catering to visitors coming to Paris for the Olympics, and then there are hotels that are catering to visitors who are coming to Paris for . . . Paris. After all, July is one of the City of Light’s busiest months of the year. The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme might be the place to be for those people. Promising a stress-free visit might be a feat of Olympic proportions given that it is located right between Place Vendôme and Opera Garnier, and within walking distance of the Louvre, the Tuileries Gardens, and all the haute couture boutiques on Rue du Faubourg. That said, the Park Hyatt is promising a getaway within the city, starting with a VIP service that will pick guests not just at the airport or train station, but right at the doors of the aircraft or train to ensure that they pass through security checkpoints in peace. (And to really avoid Parisian traffic, the hotel can set up a motorbike taxi service, but your luggage will most likely come later.) On days expected to have more crowded sporting events, the concierge desk can set up restaurant reservations in advance as well as an in-room massage service in collaboration with the Le Mer Spa.
Shangri-La Paris
Shangri-La Paris is located just steps away from several landmarks doubling as event venues, including Trocadéro, Stade Tour Eiffel, Arena Champ de Mars, Grand Palais, Concorde, Pont Alexandre III, and Invalides. This summer, the property allows guests the unique opportunity to watch the Opening Ceremonies from their balconies as the athletes cruise down the River Seine. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed with special amenities including medals and sports bears composed of chocolate crafted by pastry chef Maxence Barbot. In addition, an array of exclusive Shangri-La–branded goodies will be provided to enhance the game-watching experience, including hats, portable chargers, fans, and more. Throughout the Games, on-property lounges will be transformed into elevated sports bars, offering exclusive cocktails crafted for the event as well as a unique and celebratory culinary experience.
