A property of Singapore-based Ascott, La Clef Champs-Élysées Paris by The Crest Collection is a beautiful window into the Parisian past as well as a convenient door to the city’s most iconic draws
Location
What an enviable address La Clef Champs-Élysées Paris by The Crest Collection has! It stands along Avenue des Champs-Elysées, counting some of Europe’s top luxury fashion houses among its neighbours, and is just a 10-minute sashay to Arc de Triomphe. While this is a district frequented by crowds of eager shoppers and curious photographers, the luxury hotel happens to be on the quieter side of the avenue, where premium apartments are, thus providing guests with a more serene environment.
Accommodation
There are 70 keys across six room types on offer. Options start from 23m² Superior Rooms and go right up to the cream of the crop Duplex Montmartre – Terrace and Duplex Toits de Paris – Terrace at 52m² and 56m² respectively.
The property welcomes both transient travellers as well as long-stay guests, and its room inventory is flexible enough to cater well to both segments. Superior and Deluxe Rooms provide all the comforts sought by travellers, while the Executive Studios, One-bedroom Apartments and Duplex are equipped with a full kitchen and greater space for those intending to settle in a little longer in the French capital.
Larger families are catered to with Deluxe Room and One-bedroom Apartment combinations.
The Executive Studio was my home for a night. An elegant room dressed in cream and gold, and draped in plush fabrics, large windows let in the summer rays, while a vase of fresh blooms – white roses, purple hydrangeas, yellow carnations, and more – adds a certain lived-in warmth to the room.
As much as it is beautiful, it is also a functional room. An enormous TV, framed in silver and placed over a fireplace, masquerades as a mirror that enhances the perception of space and light in the room. The bathroom provides sensible lighting and provision of ample drawers, shelves and surface areas. The kitchen is thoughtfully equipped with an induction stove, microwave, grill, toaster, glassware, crockery, cutlery, utensils, and more should one desire to have a MasterChef moment.
F&B
The breakfast salon in the basement is an energetic space designed by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix, who is known for his exuberant ideas. Here, sustenance comes in the form of fresh juices, warm madeleines and croissants, cheese selection, wholesome grains and yogurt, and more.
The other dining establishment on property is Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine and Liu Ling Bar, both located on the ground level. It is recognised as one of the best fine-dining Chinese restaurants in Champs-Élysées. Liu Ling Bar offers a stylish venues for guests to enjoy creative cocktails with fairy-tale names as well as a range of spirits from all over the world.
Facilities
The Crest Collection contains properties with unique heritage stories and which portray the golden era of their destination – so proclaims its corporate website. True to this brand identity, La Clef Champs-Élysées Paris by The Crest Collection has an impressive tale to tell.
The building was built by the Hennessy family in 1907, and much of its original grandeur has been lovingly and carefully conserved, restored and incorporated into the hotel design today.
The elaborate floral wall moulding that tops the lobby harks back to the old days, when the space was the driveway for arriving horses and carriages. Even the marble stairs and wrought iron rails are a beautiful remnant of the past.
Its refurbishment by Studio Jean-Philippe Nuel was tastefully done, so much so you get a strong sense of its glamorous past along with modern luxuries. Take for instance its co-working space. Tucked next to the grand winding stairs and lit by draping pendant lights, this facility could well pass off as a reading room for ladies in bustle skirts and ornate hats – until you spot the modern invention called the printer in the corner.
Besides the co-working space, the hotel also offers a well-equipped gym and launderette.
Service
Check-in and attention at breakfast was swift with a smile.
Verdict
I love hotels with a backstory, and this one comes with beautiful conserved features that whisk me back in time. Bonus points for its excellent access to shopping and Michelin-starred dining temptations.
Contact details
Website: https://www.discoverasr.com/en/the-crest-collection/france/la-clef-champs-elysees-paris/executive-studio
Email: laclefchampselysees@the-ascott.com
