George V

After its Saudi prince owner initiated a complete $125 million overhaul in 1999, George V has left Paris’ other grand palace hotels fighting for second place. This 245-room Four Seasons property may not be the most authentically French of the city’s landmark hotels, but it makes up for the… more whiff of blandness with some of the city’s most spacious rooms, not to mention over-the-top luxe touches like an in-house florist, a massive, ridiculously indulgent staff of butlers on 24-hour call, and bathrooms that guests write home about. Add to all that a Michelin three-starred restaurant called Le Cinq, an expansive spa and gym complex with swimming pool, and state-of-the-art rooms, and you can understand why this extremely pricey and often booked up property is in a class all its own.