Six luxury hotels in France have been awarded the country’s “Palace” designation, joining one of the most exclusive groups in the hospitality industry.
The French tourist agency has created the label ‘palace’ to distinguish the best hotels in the country, which must follow a demanding set of criteria to be awarded the label.
There are now 33 of these, including six new additions – situated in Paris, Cannes, the upmarket ski resort of Megève and in the Champagne region.
The newly designated Palace hotels are; the Bulgari Hotel Paris, Cheval Blanc Paris and Hôtel Fouquet (also in Paris), alongside Four Seasons Megève in the French Alps, Hôtel Martinez Cannes on the Côte d’Azur and Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in the Champagne region.
The latest additions bring the total number of Palace hotels in France to 33. Of these, 13 are located in Paris, nine in south-eastern France, seven in the Alps, two in the south-west, one in eastern France and one in the French Caribbean.
Palace label
Created in 2010, the Palace label was introduced to regulate the use of the term “palace” in the hospitality sector and to strengthen the international reputation of France’s luxury hotel industry amid growing competition from destinations in the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
The distinction is awarded by Atout France, the country’s tourism development agency, and is reserved for hotels that already hold a five-star classification.
To qualify, establishments must meet demanding criteria including an exceptional location, outstanding heritage or symbolic significance, and highly personalised levels of service.
The review also considers factors such as a hotel’s history, its reputation among international guests and the quality of its customer experience. Luxury hotels are expected to provide around-the-clock service, with industry standards often requiring several staff members for every guest to maintain the expected level of attention and responsiveness.
Palace status also has a direct impact on what guests pay in terms of tourist tax. The taxe de séjour is calculated according to the category of accommodation, with the highest rates applying to Palace hotels. In other words, visitors staying at a newly designated Palace hotel could see a higher tourist tax charge than before, even if room prices remain unchanged.
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In the capital, guests staying in Palace hotels now pay some of the highest tourist taxes in Europe, with charges approaching €16 per person per night (let’s remember, however, that those hotels routinely charge thousands of euro per night to stay there. In fact, Paris’ Bulgari has one enormous suite that costs €55,000 per night).
Losing the title
The rules regarding the label were tightened in 2024. The validity period of this specific distinction was reduced from five years to three years, meaning Palace hotels now face more frequent evaluations.
Eligibility requirements have also become stricter. New hotels must now have been operating for at least 24 months before applying, compared with 12 months under the previous rules.
Minimum room-size requirements have also been updated as all rooms must now be at least 26 square metres, including the bathroom, regardless of occupancy capacity.
While six hotels have joined the Palace ranks, four establishments have lost the distinction following the latest review process.
The Mandarin Oriental Paris, Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz and Hôtel Byblos in Saint-Tropez no longer hold Palace status and have reverted to the standard five-star classification.
