Destination Discovery Paris: Where to Stay, Spa, Snack & Sweat

Ah, Paris. The City of Light shines bright with sophistication and beauty that sets the tone for a chic spa experience. Experience what joie de vivre truly means with this stylish list of places to stay, spa, snack, and more.

Where to Stay

Stay in style during your Parisian travels: We suggest Le Bristol Paris; this fashionable oasis resides along the rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, lined with designer boutiques (Hermès, anyone?), and is a quick walk from the Champs-Elysées, the Place de la Concorde, and the Louvre and Orsay museums. Relax in the garden courtyard; indulge in decadent skin-care and massage treatments at the Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie (take advantage of the pool area, whose deck overlooks the city); dine in the three-Michelin-star restaurant, Epicure; and sleep soundly in guest rooms with Louis XV- and Louis XVI-style furnishings and Carrera marble bathrooms.

If it’s your dream to reside at The Ritz Paris, among Mademoiselle Coco Chanel’s famous haunts, it may be best to book your reservation for 2016 (the hotel is currently closed for renovations until year’s end); if you truly can’t wait or are unable to make it to Paris, try Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania—its Chateau Lafayette draws inspiration from the revered Parisian hotel.

Where to Spa

Embrace your inner Marie Antoinette at the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Paris, where signature treatments include A Stroll through Versailles, in honor of France’s former queen and her beloved beauty treatments. This two-and-a-half-hour spa journey treats guests to Marie Antoinette’s favorite orange blossom fragrance and comprises an orange blossom body scrub and massage with warm shea butter. (The best part? It concludes with a milky facial and macarons!) Other unique services consist of the George V Massage; book in either 50- or 80-minute timeframes and enjoy an energizing body treatment using natural essential oils and techniques to increase joint flexibility.

What to See
After you’ve visited the classic, must-see hotspots—the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, etc., make sure you hit one or two (or more) of the countless Parisian pharmacies, aka beauty lovers’ Meccas, with their endless supply of every skin-care product worth knowing, from slimming gels to firming creams to anti-aging potions, and their skilled personnel (many outfitted in lab coats, no less) with their endless supply of skin-care knowledge.

Where to Snack

How to choose in a city such as Paris? We recommend perusing one of the many Parisian food markets, open in most arrondissements several days of the week. Here it’s easy to purchase fresh fruit, cheese, and a baguette for a savory, healthy (and affordable) quick bite—not to mention you’ll get to experience a true French pastime. For a fancier, more extravagant meal, try Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, which recently reopened following a several-month-long facelift and serves contemporary French fare at its finest. In fact, all eateries at Hotel Plaza Athénée most likely promise a decadent dining event, as the acclaimed Chef Ducasse spearheads all food and beverage operations there.

Where to Sweat
We say work up a workout sweat (better known as workout “sparkle”) and make the most of your time in beautiful Paris simultaneously—add your sneakers on your packing list so you can set out on daily morning jogs along the banks of the Seine River (before it gets too crowded). Depending on the route you run, you’ll pass significant landmarks such as the Pont des Arts (the metal-lock bridge), Eiffel Tower, and Tuileries Park.