Inside the Restored Belle Etoile Suite at Le Meurice

The famous Belle Etoile Suite roof terrace at Le Meurice, Paris

One of the most iconic hotels in Paris, Le Meurice, marked the beginning of a new era of luxury earlier this summer with the total transformation of its penthouse Belle Etoile Suite.

Dating back to 1835, Le Meurice is a unique hotel famed for its 18th-century opulence. It has welcomed esteemed guests such as Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso in the past, but this reimagination of its signature suite ensures it is fit for the modern-day elite.

Situated on the seventh floor, the Belle Etoile Suite is renowned for having the best private views in Paris. Its rooftop terrace and garden offer a 360-degree view of the City of Love including treasured landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

Le Meurice, owned by the Dorchester Collection, commandeered the services of design studio Lally & Berger to ensure the suite’s interiors were just as much of a draw as its outside space.

Large windows ensure the entire suite is filled with natural light

The marble bathroom adds a touch of over-the-top luxury

Every detail throughout the four-bedroom suite has been carefully chosen to reflect the grandeur of modern-day Versailles. Shades of bronze and gold, mixed with the subtle patina of lightly-aged oak, play out throughout its 6,674-square-feet.

There are artisanal touches throughout and fitting tributes to Paris’s everlasting love affair with fine art. Clouds have been hand-painted in the bedroom entrance to give an ethereal feeling of stepping into the clouds. This is further enhanced by the large windows, through which the beautiful city vistas and natural light flood through.

Another highlight is the amazing marble bathroom, a vast space filled with natural daylight thanks to three windowed walls. Guests can have a luxurious soak in an oversized whirlpool bathtub while taking in views that stretch to Montmartre and the aforementioned Sacré-Coeur.

The roof terrace remains the suite’s pièce de résistance. This expansive outdoor space is better described as a private garden with its haven of greenery modeled on the Tuileries Garden below. Landscape designer Pierre-Alexandre Risser is behind the garden. For him, this was about choosing the perfect shapes, textures and beautiful blooms to create a haven in the heart of an urban metropolis.