8 of the Hottest New Hotels in Paris, the French Riviera, Versailles, and Beyond

Luxury-seeking travelers are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels in France: The country has always had a blockbuster lineup of ultra-upscale properties to stay in.

Paris alone is home to a collection of palace hotels where a night’s stay starts in the four figures— there’s the Hôtel de Crillon, for example, and Hôtel Plaza Athénée with its signature 1,900 red geraniums adorning the façade. The South of France has its own icons, with Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, in Antibes, among the top picks.

With travel restrictions easing and France reopening its borders, the options of high-end accommodations in the country have become even more robust.

One of the buzziest openings is The Maybourne Riviera on the Cote d’Azur, from the Maybourne Hotel Group, the organization behind the renowned Claridge’s in London. Set on a craggy cliff in the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in a striking modern building, the property is making a soft debut in late August.

With views of the Mediterranean Sea and a location in restored gardens, The Maybourne Riviera features the talents of some of the top designers, architects, and artists in the world. The French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who worked on the Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, is behind the exterior, while Andre Fu, Bryan O’Sullivan, Pierre Yovanovitch, and Rigby & Rigby show off their creativity inside. The Maybourne Group also tapped local artisans to custom-make art, glassware, and ceramics for both the public spaces and guest rooms.

Gastronomy is a draw as much as the seaside locale. Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco, of the three-Michelin star South of France restaurant Mirazur, will have a spot, along with Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the Japanese chef Hiroyuki Sato. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a spa and private beach club are more reasons this hotel is poised to become a destination in itself.

Meanwhile, three new properties in Paris have the cognoscenti talking. Overlooking the Seine, the LVMH-owned Cheval Blanc Paris is debuting in early September and will have 72 rooms and suites designed by the architect Peter Marino. The property is located in La Samaritaine, a 19th-century building that LVMH has spent the last 15 years developing as a resort. Cheval Blanc’s Art Deco influence was inspired by the Samaritaine.