A Parisian institution that oft frequents heralded literary works (Tender is the Night, to name just one) and has oft been frequented by a host of famous names (Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway, to name just two), the Ritz underwent a $400m refurbishment completed in 2016.

Those renovations bolstered what was already a second-to-none establishment – its apartments and prestige suites reflect the glitzy soul that is the hotel’s forte, and they now twin modernity with that unrivalled palatial atmosphere. The camouflaged flatscreen TVs are a case in point.

Its fabulous repertoire of restaurants and bars takes in everything from gourmet breakfast at the Nicolas Sale-helmed L’Espadon to the delightful cocktails in the glowing Bar Hemingway. All that’s before we even revel in the masterpiece that is the Ritz’s Hardouin-Mansart facade, an unmissable sight on Place Vendôme.

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Credit: Vincent Leroux