Hôtel La Clef Champs-Elysees

The Hennessy family put up the building in 1907, during the Belle Époque. In 2012 it was sold to an institutional investor, which sold it on to Ascott in 2017. A total renovation of the interior followed between 2017 and 2019, and the hotel opened in 2019 as the third La Clef hotel, joining La Clef Louvre Paris and La Clef Tour Eiffel. The facade and the wrought-iron balcony railings survive from the original building.

The renovation was designed by the architect Jean-Philippe Nuel, who took pride in returning the building to its Hennessy opulence, preserving and restoring many of its moulded ceilings, fixtures and details. The former carriage entrance, later a car entrance and parking, became the lobby and a courtyard. The MICHELIN Guide describes the result as a lively contrast between marble surfaces and period architecture on one side and sleek modern furniture on the other, in neutral colours with a touch of metallic gold.

What the hotel calls its Esprit Champs-Élysées announces itself in the lobby, where a perfume bar is presented as an expression of the finesse of French craftsmanship. Across its rooms and apartments, the hotel lists noble materials such as parquet floors, mouldings and private fireplaces.

The hotel stands at 46 Rue de Bassano, in the 8th arrondissement, within the Triangle d'Or, which the hotel traces between the Arc de Triomphe, the Concorde obelisk and the Trocadéro and describes as a district of gastronomy, culture and history. Avenue Montaigne, in the hotel's words a temple of French fashion and luxury and home to couture houses such as Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton, is five minutes away on foot. The apartments with terraces overlook the Triangle d'Or.

Getting around is straightforward. George V station, on metro line 1, is a three-minute walk, Kléber, on line 6, is five minutes away, and Charles de Gaulle Étoile, on the RER A, can be reached in ten minutes on foot. The hotel also arranges airport transfers at an extra charge.

The three room categories each sleep two. The Chambre Supérieure, at 23 m², has either a 180 by 200 cm double bed or two singles, with a minibar, a table for two, a kettle, a Nespresso machine and a bathroom with a separate shower and L'Occitane products; the hotel lists it as accessible to guests with reduced mobility. The Chambre Exécutive, at 27 m², offers the same choice of beds but adds a fully equipped kitchen with a hob and extractor hood, a table-top refrigerator, a built-in microwave with grill, a dishwasher, a toaster and a Nespresso machine. Its bathroom has a combined bath and shower, air conditioning is controlled by an individual thermostat, an iron and ironing board are provided, and an accessible version is available on request.

The Chambre Deluxe, at 29 m², is described by the hotel as spacious and dressed in exceptional materials. It sleeps two in a king-size bed or two single beds, as guests prefer, and has a desk area, an electronic safe, a Nespresso machine, a bathroom with a separate shower and L'Occitane products, and access to thousands of newspapers and magazines through Pressreader. Throughout the hotel, rooms are air-conditioned and their televisions have Chromecast for streaming from Netflix, Spotify or YouTube, and every category comes with a bathrobe, slippers and a hairdryer.

The Appartement 2 pièces is the family option: a one-bedroom apartment of 53 m² for three adults or two adults and two children, with a king-size bed and a sofa that converts into a double bed. Its kitchen holds a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and Nespresso machine, and its bathroom has a combined bath and shower with L'Occitane en Provence products.

Each duplex has a terrace, and the hotel says its apartments with terraces look out over the finest monuments of the city, the Eiffel Tower among them. The Duplex Montmartre – Terrasse, at 52 m², is designed for two, with a 180 by 200 cm double bed, a standing shower, a fully equipped kitchen and a terrace the hotel calls exceptional. The Duplex Toits de Paris – Terrasse, at 56 m², sleeps four in a king-size bed and a sofa bed, with a fully equipped kitchen, a Nespresso machine, a large bathroom with a bath-and-shower combination and L'Occitane products.

A continental breakfast is served seven days a week in the breakfast room, on the level below the ground floor, at an additional charge. The hotel also has a restaurant, likewise charged separately.

Room service can be ordered on request, and with kitchens in the Chambre Exécutive, the Appartement 2 pièces and the duplexes, many guests can also cook for themselves. There is also a terrace where, in the hotel's words, guests can unwind after the day or simply take the air.

The hotel has an air-conditioned, fully equipped fitness room. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day, and staff speak Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Housekeeping is daily in every room, luggage storage is available, and a self-service laundry can be used at an extra charge.

Children are welcome. Those under two stay free, whether in the existing beds or in a cot, and baby equipment can be supplied at an extra charge. The hotel is also certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, a certification it says reflects its commitment to running its business responsibly.