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Right royal piece of paradise

By Liu Weifeng | China Daily | Updated: 2013-08-03 07:35

 Right royal piece of paradise

Ideal for hosting prestigious weddings and banquets, Salle a Manger, a function room, is decorated in Louis XV style.

Since the Shangri-La Paris opened, both locals and visitors have savored the brand's legendary "made-in-Asia" style of hospitality. Luxury travelers from Asia are eager to experience a stay in an aristocratic piece of French history.

Currently, the United States accounts for about 22 percent of the hotel's guests, followed by Asian travelers, mostly from Hong Kong, with guests from Europe making up the rest.

Part of the charm is the dcor and architecture, but it is more the unique blend of stylish details.

First, there is the grand entrance, through massive wrought-iron gates that open into a green forecourt embellished with lions on the coat-of-arms and Rococo-style balconies straight out of the Louis XV era.

Two large Ming Dynasty-style vases, with colorful peonies in full blossom, guard the entrance on both sides and welcome visitors with a floral flourish. It is very Parisian, and very Chinese.

The concierge desk, just opposite the reception, is another dcor highlight with a sandalwood cabinet lined with fine Chinese porcelain plates.

Even the elevator ride is like a brief trip to fairyland, with the sides of the cabin papered with Tiffany-blue wallpaper with birds and flowers.

Chinese ink abstract landscapes and European-style sculptures set the tone in the public areas, and it seems every corner is a scene of beauty.

The 101-room hotel, with 36 suites, is also one of the best vantage points to view the Eiffel Tower.

L'Abeille, the hotel's two-star rated Michelin restaurant serving fine French cuisine, is next to an oasis of a garden clearly seen through ground-to-ceiling picture windows.

Another gastronomic gem is Shang Palace, the only Chinese restaurant in Paris awarded one star by the 2013 Michelin Guide, where the kitchen is helmed by Frank Xu and his team of four Hong Kong chefs.

To better cater for guests eager to explore the neighborhood and discover the real Paris, Shangri-La Paris offers various tour options.

You can also get them to organize tours to the Rochas workshop, a time-honored fashion icon and perfume maker, and discover the whole process of perfume making, an art, and a science. Guests from Asia are told that certain ingredients such as Sichuan pepper and Chinese parsley are beginning to influence a new generation of scents.

 

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