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Not a long while back, I spent 36 hours around Avenue Montaigne, having my room at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée Paris as my head courters of chic.

Walking into the lobby at Plaza Athénée, you can’t help but be instantly immersed by Haute Couture. Floral displays that are changed every week,add to the welcoming atmosphere. New bronze, marble and brushed oak furnishings, along with wood paneling on the walls, offer a sense of old Parisian charm. As you walk on the beautifully designed mosaic floor, you know you are in the right place. Exactly where your heart is.

Alain Ducasse Restaurant

And where the elegant heart of Paris is looking ahead to its next century. Opened in 1913 on Avenue Montaigne, soon after the opening of the Theatre des Champs-Élysées, the Plaza Athénée rapidly became the inevitable meeting place of the city’s elite. Famous guests include Mata Hari (who was arrested there), Rudolph Valentino, Grace Kelly, Gary Cooper, and modern icons Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp, Anna Wintour, Stevie Wonder, and Penelope Cruz. Located within one of Paris’s most prestigious districts, the hotel remains at the center of fashionable and artistic Parisian life. I would not find any other place to stay, when I decided to take in as much as the city had to offer me, on a breathtaking 36-hour stay.

• Facade
• Dior Institut basin
• Art de la table
• Le Bar
• Lobby
• Relais Plaza
• Suite Eiffel
• Galerie
• Suite Eiffel

·All the boutiques are situated around the hotel, in such a convenient distance that you can just drop off your shopping bags and continue like there is no tomorrow. From Escada, Paul & Joe, Armani and Valentino to Marni, Gucci and Chanel, all the major league names are lined up on this, the boardwalk of endless shopping!
·Just a few minutes away is the lovely and scenic site of the river Seine. The Place de la Concorde and the beautiful Tuileries gardens, that host so many amazing shows during fashion week, are just around the corner. So is the Champs Elysees Avenue that takes you straight to the Arc De Triomphe.

·Take a cab ride down to Shakespeare and Company to visit the newly opened café, on rue de la Bucherie www.shakespeareandcompany.com, where the view from the terrace is divine. Yes, you can see the Notre-Dame.
·Indulge in a beautiful dinner at the Le Meurice by Alain Ducasse, a fascinating, international chef, a man who has also made his mark at the Plaza Athénée. (The Le Meurice is at 228, Rue de Rivoli, tel. 0144581055)
·When you get back to the hotel, please do spend some time at the Dior Institute, at least to treat yourself to a perfect manicure and get a feel of the spot that so magically reflects the hotel’s relationship with Christian Dior himself.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée