Paris in September: Seeing beauty through my mother’s eyes

Appreciating the beauty and elegance that meet you everywhere you go in Le Bristol Paris When Paris calls, you answer by booking your stay at Le Bristol Paris. For me, aside from the shopping, staying at Le Bristol is one of the best things about Paris. The moment I step into the lobby, I am filled with this wonderful feeling, especially when I see the smiling faces greeting us at the door and reception.

As I walk through the lobby, I always feel as though my mom is walking right beside me. Le Bristol is exactly the kind of place she taught us to appreciate in life. The beautiful flower arrangements that welcome you, the carefully curated artwork adorning the walls, and the furniture that seems filled with stories of Parisian lives well lived. 

There is elegance everywhere, but it never feels cold or intimidating. Somehow, it feels like coming home.

Lush and vibrant foliage beneath a crystal chandelier make a gorgeous centerpiece at the main lobby This time, we were led to what is now my favorite room at Le Bristol, Suite Azure. I shared the suite with Bea and Ivar, and we were given a beautiful two bedroom suite with a massive garden terrace overlooking the perfectly manicured courtyard. From there, we could watch very posh guests having their afternoon tea or cocktails below while we happily enjoyed our own little world upstairs.

The suite has a quaint dining area where gifts were waiting for us to unwrap, as if it were Christmas morning. The two bathrooms have bathtubs where we could soak our aching bodies after hours of walking and shopping. Each bedroom also has a walk-in closet that may actually be bigger than the one I have at home. And believe me, we put those closets to good use.

One of two bedrooms at Suite Azur feels warm and inviting yet refined, with soft blue tones, patterned fabrics, and gentle natural lightAs soon as we settled in and unpacked, we headed down the street to visit all the shops on our list. One of the best things about staying at Le Bristol is its location. So many of the stores we wanted to visit were just a short walk away.

Even better, we didn’t have to carry our purchases around all day. The shops could deliver our bags directly to the hotel, where the concierge would make sure everything was sent up to our suite. That alone makes shopping in Paris so much more pleasurable. We could walk our 10,000 steps without carrying anything except our own handbags. At my age, I consider that luxury.

In the evening, we would come “home” to a beautifully turned down room, with practically everything we could possibly want before getting some shut eye already waiting for us. What I especially love about Le Bristol is that they remember. From my previous stays, they know that I don’t drink alcohol, so instead of bottles of wine, we were welcomed with fresh fruits, chocolates, and plenty of glass bottles of water. 

These may seem like small details, but they are exactly the details that make a hotel stay memorable. Some evenings, we would spend hours talking and laughing on the terrace. We were also incredibly fortunate to have perfect weather throughout our stay, making it difficult to leave our little garden in the middle of Paris.

Candy Dizon, Ivarluski Aseron, Bea LedesmaThen came my favorite part of the day: breakfast. Since we slept with the windows open, at around five in the morning I could already smell freshly baked bread. There are worse ways to wake up in Paris. A few hours later, that bread would be on our breakfast table alongside freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, sausages, eggs, salmon, yogurt, fruits, avocado toast, and whatever else we suddenly decided we needed. Breakfast at Le Bristol isn’t simply breakfast. It feels like a morning feast fit for kings and queens.

The author’s favorite time of the day: breakfast!There were three different places where we could have breakfast, and you can bet we tried all three during our stay. Each morning had a slightly different setting, but every single one was something to write home about.

Beginning the day with breakfast fit for royaltyMaybe that’s what I love most about Le Bristol. It isn’t just about the beautiful rooms, the flowers, the art, the shopping nearby, or even those glorious breakfasts. It’s about how a place makes you feel. For me, walking through those doors brings back memories of my mother and everything she taught me about appreciating beauty, graciousness, and the finer details in life.

A peek at the perfect weather from the doorway leading to the balcony of Suite AzurPerhaps that is why, no matter how many times I return, Le Bristol never feels like just another hotel in Paris. It feels familiar, it feels special, and for a few wonderful days, it feels like home.

So when Paris calls again, I already know where I’ll be staying.