What IS luxury? It’s perfection, or as near as you can get to it. But that becomes boring. It’s a sense of the unexpected, which can include bling. See the washbasin furnishings above, in suite 626 of RITZ PARIS. As a senior manager says, who else would dare to have a gold-swan faucet in a luxury hotel? It works, in this iconic hotel, because everything else is just so perfect.
Suite 626, a top-floor Mansard space, has four windows facing Opera Garnier. The windows have easy-work pulley drapes and sheers and tassels that have more gold than on an African potentate’s ceremonial uniform. The whole suite is painted soft ecru with walls’ shapes outline in duck egg blue. The carpet is similarly portioned, the centre parts with different patterns for sitting area and bedroom. OH the bed, made up with a fluff of cream linens. The pale blue headboard holds serious fibre optic stalks with sensibly-sized lights you can really read by.
There’s enough storage space to hang all the costumes in China. There are three umbrellas, a senssible leather hang-on Do Not Disturb. On a coffee table, every piece of welcome fruit is perfect. Back to the bathroom, marble enlivened by peach linens, and robes. Single-serve toiletries are easy to open and the innards come out easily.
OK don’t get carried away (this isn’t a PR puff). Exit 626 and you can’t see an elevator sign. Answer? either way works, one to a standard cabin and the other way to a circular cabin in a wrap that looks like Turkish delight. Another ‘unexpected’.
Luxury can offer what you want when you didn’t know what you wanted. Cocktails in the main bar? Enter the ultimate private club. No matter thaat they haven’t seen you before, you’re welcomed into a cherry-coloured haven, with light music in the terrace extension. Tea? No problem. Yes, there’s a menu. A best-seller, smoked salmon club, comes as four skewers holding triangular bits, oozing with goodness. Thank goodness for the elegant starched nakins. Switch to a glass of red and it’s Ch Chasse-Spleen Moulis en Médoc 2014. The swans were there waiting for Girlahead when she called this a day, luxury Paris-style.
