With its lofty position on Avenue George V just off the Champs-Elysées in Paris, L’Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière has hoisted the concept of luxury to high art. A striking blend of Art Deco and Napoleon III design sets the stage for the 48 rooms, 33 suites, five restaurants and three bars. The first Parisian hotel to have earned five stars, service is a priority — beginning with a VIP welcome in the historic lobby, and a staff of on-call butlers.

Dining choices include Le Petite Maison de Nicole, Fouquet’s, Gallerie Joy Terrace and Garden, Café Fouquet’s on the Champs-Elysées, and Le Diane, where chef Jean-Yves Leuranguer presides over the kitchen. Bars include Le Lucien for vintage Champagne and music, Le Bar Marta, named for Lucien Barrière’s wife, where light gourmet snacks are served well into the night; and the red velvet space of L’Escadrille in the hotel’s center, with cocktails created by award-winning barman Stéphane Ginouvès.

Recognized as the leading luxury spa hotel in Paris, L’Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière is home to U Spa Barrière Shiseido. A calming blend of soft light, wood paneling and bronze mosaics surround the city’s largest indoor pool. In addition to a full menu of fabulous treatments, there’s a sauna, two hammams and a water course in a second pool fitted with a series of water massage jets arranged to propel you through a small water maze. Proof that opulence needn’t be ecologically damaging, the hotel has achieved certification toward environmental commitment, as well as for safeguarding human rights and children’s rights.