Hôtel Barrière Fouquet's Paris

The hotel takes its name from Louis Fouquet, a celebrated Belle Époque restaurateur who opened the restaurant on the ground floor, developed it and made it famous; he also brought the fashion for cocktails to his bar. In 1998 Groupe Barrière bought the restaurant, which had spent two years in judicial reorganisation, and the site underwent major works before reopening in 2000. The group's plan was to create a hotel in the floors above, and that hotel opened in 2006. In 2013 it won the category of Europe's Leading City Hotel at the World Travel Awards; it closed in early 2017 for renovation and reopened on 1 July 2017.

For decades the brasserie has been a meeting place for the entertainment industry. Its ties with cinema are strong: every year it hosts the traditional dinner after the César Awards, and from 1988 to 2012 the names of César winners were inscribed on brass plaques at its main entrance. Its kitchen also earned a solid reputation under the chefs Pierre Goubert and then Pierre Ducroux, regularly winning Michelin stars, as in the 1968 edition of the guide. On 6 May 2007, the evening of his victory in the presidential election, Nicolas Sarkozy celebrated there with about a hundred people, an evening that was later widely covered by the media.

The building scrupulously respects Haussmann's conditions: no projections on the facades, which stay perfectly aligned; a continuous fourth-floor balcony as the only ornament; and no sign projecting over the street. The facade runs across six bays from numbers 97 to 99 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and the buildings from 93 to 99 share identical carriage doors that set a rhythm along the avenue. There are five storeys above an interior courtyard, and two secondary staircases of the kind typical of Haussmann buildings intended for the financial, political and cultural elite. Former tenants included Paul Deschanel and the actress Cécile Sorel.

The architect Édouard François was commissioned to unify the buildings into a single establishment, and for this he created the "moulé-troué" concept. At the rear of the hotel, on the corner of rue Quentin-Bauchart and rue Vernet, an authentic Haussmann facade was moulded and applied to the facades being renovated, painted grey, then pierced with openings that ignore the Haussmann pattern and follow the room plans and comfort instead. Interior decoration was entrusted to Jacques Garcia, who had renovated Le Normandy in Deauville. He imagined the hotel as a family home, at once spectacular and intimate, where velvet, mahogany and crystal meet the controlled baroque of the salons and the muted sobriety of the bedrooms.

The hotel occupies the corner of Avenue des Champs-Élysées and Avenue George V, with its entrance at 46 Avenue George V. Depending on the category, rooms and suites look out over the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées or Avenue George V.

Le Joy restaurant opens onto the hotel's inner garden, which some rooms and suites overlook, an alternative to the avenue views. For arrivals and departures, the concierge can arrange private transfers to and from the airport.

Jacques Garcia decorated the bedrooms in light tones, mahogany and faux shagreen leather, with one stylistic extravagance: an oversized tufted headboard. The Superior Room, of 400 sq ft with a king-size bed for two, has a city view. The Deluxe Room is the same size but looks onto Avenue George V or the secret garden of Le Joy, the choice for guests who prefer the garden side. Families can take the Superior Connecting Room, two connecting rooms totalling 797 sq ft for four guests with a city view.

The Prestige Champs-Elysées Room is described by the hotel as a superb, perfectly soundproofed room looking over the Champs-Élysées. Among the junior suites, the Deluxe Junior Suite of 50 m² is decorated in shades of gold with a city view, while the Prestige Champs-Elysées Junior Suite, also 50 m², faces the avenue. The Prestige Champs-Elysées Suite, of 516 sq ft, adds a spacious separate sitting room. The Superior Suite, of 645 sq ft, overlooks Avenue George V, and the Deluxe Suite, of 76 m², looks onto the secret garden of Joy or Avenue George V.

The Grand Prestige Champs-Élysées Suite, of 74 m², has a large separate sitting room and a balcony over the Champs-Élysées. The Paris Eiffel Suite, of 131 m² for four guests, gives its large bedroom, dressing room and spacious bathroom views over the avenue. Three signature apartments of 135 m² are in pure Haussmannian style: the George V Signature Suite on the second floor, the Suite Signature Champs-Élysées on the third, facing the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, and the Arc de Triomphe Signature Suite on the fourth, whose balcony overlooks the Champs-Élysées and the Eiffel Tower.

The largest of the suites is the Harcourt Paris Suite, of 200 m² for four guests, with a private terrace and a photo studio.

Brasserie Fouquet's, at 99 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, sits on the corner of the two avenues under red awnings lettered in gold, with two terraces. The entrance is paved with plaques honouring famous actors, and inside, chiaroscuro portraits of film icons signed by Studio Harcourt line the walls. The decor includes mahogany panelling by Jean Royère, and discreet brass plaques mark the favourite tables of famous people. One salon is named after James Joyce, a name given in 1982 for the centenary of the writer's birth. The restaurant has been listed as a historical monument since 1990.

The menu reinterprets French classics such as escargots, sole meunière and millefeuille with wit. The brasserie is open daily from 07:30 to 00:00, serving breakfast from opening, then lunch, an afternoon snacking menu and dinner, and it strongly recommends booking, particularly for lunch and dinner. A duo plays live music every Friday and Saturday evening, and menus in Braille are available for visually impaired guests. Guests are asked to come in casual chic dress: caps, shorts and tracksuits are not allowed, closed shoes are required, and the management reserves the right to refuse entry.

Le Joy offers contemporary cooking built on seasonal produce, served in an interior garden or in alcoves lined by a large library. The Joy Bar is an intimate cocktail bar with an indoor garden. L'Escadrille, historically a meeting place for aviators, now serves classic cocktails, and La Galerie is a bar and snacking lounge. On the fifth floor, Le Rooftop, a cocktail bar, has been completely reinvented for the season. Room service runs around the clock.

The spa covers 750 m², with a heated 15-metre pool and a relaxing aquatic course, a sauna, a hammam under a starry ceiling, and an ice room with its ice wall.

The spa is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00, while the fitness room is accessible to hotel guests 24 hours a day.

Beyond the hotel, guests can see Paris from a private boat or go behind the scenes at Versailles. For families, the hotel has connecting rooms, and baby cots are provided free of charge on request, while extra beds can be added in certain categories, subject to availability and for a supplement.

Valet parking is free for all guests and needs no reservation. Pets are accepted under conditions: they must be kept on a leash in public areas and never left alone in the room, additional charges may apply, and they are not allowed in the restaurants, bars, spa or fitness area, assistance dogs excepted.