Palace and 5-star hotel

In 2009, a major reform of the hotel classification took place in France, following which two main new features appeared: first, the creation of a new category of hotels, five-star hotels. Then, the birth of the “palace” distinction, which aims to promote 5-star hotels “presenting exceptional characteristics”, according to Atout France, the French Tourist Development Agency, responsible for the classification of tourist hotels.

Hotel star ratings now emphasize sustainability and digital

More generally, it should contribute to the influence of French culture and the attractiveness of the destination France”, thus justifies Atout France.

Remember that if the Atout France agency sets the classification criteria and revises them every five years and awards the stars, the classification of hotel establishments is a voluntary process on the part of tourist hotels. The checks are carried out by an accredited private assessor firm, freely chosen by the hotelier, and at his expense, and are supplemented by a mystery visit to the establishment for 4 and 5 star hotels.

What are the most legendary hotels in France?

But what is this “extra thing” that palaces have and that 5-star hotels do not have? To obtain the palace distinction, two phases must be observed: the first phase, called instruction, is based on objective eligibility criteria resulting from the classification of the 5-star category, such as a multilingual team, a tailor-made service such as a concierge service or even the presence of a fitness area or spa.

The five stars are logically the establishments which must meet the most criteria, classified into three categories: equipment, customer service as well as accessibility and sustainable development. In total, this represents nearly 400 precise points, obligatory or not.

Added to these hundreds of objective criteria are more subjective criteria, which will be observed during the second so-called analysis phase: a commission, made up of qualified personalities, will then base its opinion on the geographical location of the hotel, its historical and heritage interest, the aesthetics of the place, the quality of the gourmet restaurant, the environmental policy…

Also taken into account are the “remarkable architecture” of the building, the rate of suites – which must be around 20% -, the presence of works of art, the quality of bed and bathroom linen as well as bedding or the existence of 24-hour customer service covering concierge service and valet/baggage service, room service and room service.

Where are the 31 French palaces located?

As of January 1, 2022, only 31 establishments could boast of having the “palace” distinction in France. It is the capital which concentrates the greatest number of palaces, with no less than 12 palaces in Paris , from the Four Seasons Hotel George V to the Meurice, including the Hôtel de Crillon, the Lutétia and the Hotel Plaza Athénée .

We also see that the palaces are quite concentrated geographically in the rest of France, with 5 palaces in Courchevel (the Cheval Blanc Courchevel, the Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges, the Hôtel L’Apogée, the Hôtel Le K2 and the Hôtel Les Airelles) and another palace a little further north, the Royal Evian in Evian-les-Bains.

 booking your hotel cheaper

The city of Saint-Tropez is not left out, with three palaces installed on its territory (Le Byblos Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière and Cheval Blanc St-Tropez), which are added to the list of palaces located elsewhere on the Côte-d’Azur.

In the South-West, there are three palaces: the Hôtel du Palais, in Biarritz, the Sources de Caudalie, in Martillac, as well as the Hôtel les Prés d’Eugénie, Michel Guérard, in Eugénie-les-Bains. .

Finally, the last palace on the list is located in the Caribbean, in Saint-Barthélémy: it is the Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France.

While the “palace” distinction currently only exists in France, the classification of hotels in France only applies in France, which means that a 5-star hotel will not have the same standard. in Lyon than in New York.

Each country can in fact develop (or not) its own classification: the standards of an establishment in the same category – a priori – therefore vary from one city to another. Be careful to find out about the criteria in force in your next destination