Hotel Shangri-La

Have you been inside Hotel Shangri-La in Paris?

A divine hotel particulier built in1896 for Prince Roland Bonaparte nephew of Bonaparte III.

Time for Cinderella to leave her pumpkin and step into a grander world.

A world full of orchids.

And Empire entry ways.

Orchids are a repeating icon throughout Hotel Shangri-La.

As is the famous Napoleonic bee.

The Shangri-La group acquired the building (a designated historic monument) in 2006 and spent four years restoring it back to it's original elegance and beauty.

Every detail reflects great attention to preserve French heritage.

B for Bonaparte as well as R for Roland are part of all the reliefs.

The stunning bouquets come from top Parisian florist, Pascal Mutel.

The Eiffel Tower nearby is as much a visual icon as the Bonaparte Bees and Asian orchids. Many hotel rooms have terrace views.

A sublime melange of Asian and French decorative details throughout.

Another hotel room I could move into instantly has perfect views.

Plus the Empire bathrooms are simply dreamy.

Lovely hand-painted ribbon details caught my eye...

Are repeated in the silk wall coverings in the rooms of the restored family residence.

The spa pool too blends right in.

Prince Roland was a famous collector of botanical prints.

Entry way to La Bauhinia: the French and South-East Asian two-starred Michelin restaurant.

They serve a gorgeous afternoon tea I'd love to come back for...

The Celadon greens and ruby reds.
A perfect combination.

One of the hotel's several gardens with Eiffel Tower views.

We had lunch in one-star Shang Palace, one of Paris' most authentic Chinese restaurants.

We decided on the 7-course 'Menu Jade'.

An absolute must is the chef's extraordinary dim sum (not on our menu) of prawns wrapped in red rice with a sesame sauce.
Sublime.

Delicate crispy crevettes.
Perfection.

A special steamed lotus leaf package holding morsels of shrimp, chicken, pork in rice. Heavenly

A refreshing dessert soup of mango, pomelo and tapioca perles...sigh. So you see you must come for tea or cocktails or dinner or to stay at Shangri-La - a divine haven in Paris.