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Hôtel Westminster in Paris, restored with a British club feel
A five-star Paris hotel between Place Vendôme and the Palais Garnier, restored by Laurent Maugoust, keeps its long British accent.
Hôtel Westminster sits at 13 rue de la Paix, on a street Napoleon had laid out in the early 1800s. Its predecessor, the Hôtel Wagram, opened here in 1807. So many British travellers settled nearby that the area became known as a little piece of London in Paris, which explains the name. The building got its Haussmannian face between 1905 and 1907, and it won its fifth star in 2025.
Interior architect Laurent Maugoust led a restoration completed a year ago, working across the 102 rooms, 20 of them suites. Rather than freeze one period, he says he wanted to bring different eras into dialogue: marble fireplaces, mouldings and herringbone oak parquet stay, set against beige, green and violet fabrics. Antique clocks, some from the 19th century, still tick in the rooms. Some suites look onto rue de la Paix, others onto a flower-filled courtyard.
The real draw is Duke's Bar, all dark panelling, deep armchairs and an original fireplace. The hotel's own history lists Churchill as a regular, with portraits of him, Chanel and Kipling on the walls. Next door, Helen Stephens has redone the restaurant, Le Céladon, in greens that nod to the Vendôme Column and the Tuileries.
Worth a look for anyone who prefers a nightcap with a story attached. Check for the musical and literary evenings run with Galignani bookshop.
Our summary of a story from designboom, published 28 October 2026. Read the original
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From designboom