Review: Bulgari Hotel Paris, France

During our royal visit to Versailles, our primary destination was the incredible Airelles Chateau de Versailles. However, at the end of our trip, we also decided to spend one night at the 76-key Bulgari Paris (or BVLGARI Paris, if you prefer), which opened in late 2021.

Previously, we had stayed at Bulgari Milan, Bulgari Rome, and Bulgari Dubai, so we were also curious to check out the Paris property. Paris is arguably the world’s most competitive luxury hotel market, and I’ve made a point of trying to check out all of the city’s top properties, even if just for one night. I’ve reviewed properties like Cheval Blanc Paris, Four Seasons Paris George V, Hotel de Crillon Paris, La Reserve Paris, Le Bristol Paris, and Ritz Paris, among others.

So, how is the Bulgari Paris? Having now stayed at several Bulgari properties, I feel like I really understand the brand. It’s a remarkably consistent brand, for better or worse.

There’s a lot to like about the Bulgari Paris. Specific to this property, it has a great location. But as I’ve found to be the case with all Bulgari properties, the gym is excellent, there’s a beautiful pool and spa, and the dining options are great, including the signature Il Ristorante Niko Romito. Furthermore, if you’re into fashion, you’ll certainly appreciate the strong branding.

On the other hand, Bulgari properties don’t necessarily have a strong sense of place, with more of an emphasis on fashion than the destination. So it goes without saying that if you’re looking for an old world, historic Parisian property, then this probably isn’t the right place to book.

Booking the Bulgari Paris

Even though Bulgari is a collaboration with Marriott, the brand unfortunately doesn’t participate in Marriott Bonvoy. That means you can’t earn or redeem points for stays at Bulgari properties, and also can’t take advantage of any Bonvoy elite benefits. It sure would be nice if that changed, just as Ritz-Carlton Reserve has joined Marriott Bonvoy.

As you’d expect, rates for luxury properties in Paris are really high, and vary throughout the year. Rates seem to start at a bit over €1,600 per night, and over some periods, start at over €2,000 per night. I’m not going to argue that any luxury hotel in Paris is a great value, but rather that’s just what hotels can get away with, given the demand.

For what it’s worth, Ford got a travel advisor rate for our one night stay (so we received a discounted rate). All opinions expressed are my own, and haven’t been reviewed by the hotel.

The best way to book a stay at any Bulgari property is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive extra perks, like complimentary breakfast, a room upgrade subject to availability, a hotel credit, and more. Since STARS is Marriott’s own proprietary program, these upgrades are prioritized over those through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, Virtuoso, etc.

Ford and his team are happy to help with Marriott STARS bookings at this hotel, and can be reached at [email protected].

Bulgari Paris location

The Bulgari Hotel Paris is located at 30 Avenue George V, in the 8th arrondissement, in what’s commonly referred to as the “Golden Triangle.” Paris is a sprawling city, and obviously there are varying takes on what the best location is.

Personally, I think this is a great location, as you’re walking distance to so many different areas. The hotel is also right across the street from the Four Seasons George V, and I’ve always been a fan of that property’s location. As you can see, the Bulgari has a much more modern facade than so many of Paris’ historic properties.

Bulgari Paris lobby & check-in

You can tell from the second that you arrive at the Bulgari Hotel Paris that it’s not your typical Paris luxury property. At the entrance are some gorgeous lighting fixtures, flowers, and a portrait of Monica Vitti (wearing a Bulgari necklace, as you’d expect!).

Reception is located just inside the entrance and to the left. The rest of the ground floor space is dedicated to the bar, lounge, and restaurant, so there’s plenty of space to lounge around, and I’ll talk more about that later.

Our check-in process was quick, and within minutes, we were escorted up to our room. The elevator bank is located between reception and the hotel’s food and beverage outlets.

Bulgari Paris executive suite

The Bulgari Hotel Paris goes from level minus three to level nine. We were assigned a room on the sixth floor.

Specifically, we were assigned room 601. This was an executive suite, marketed as being a generous 91 square meters (980 square feet). Even the entry level executives rooms at the property are quite spacious, at 42 square meters (452 square feet).

The room featured an entryway with a half bathroom and closet, and that then flowed into the living room.

In terms of design, this might just be my favorite Bulgari property, as I thought the suite living area was luxurious and residential. The living room had a huge “L” shaped couch, plus two chairs in the corner. I appreciated the comfort of that couch (since some hotels have furniture that looks nice but isn’t actually comfortable), though I do wish there had been a dining table, or something.

I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a room with as many books as this one had in the shelves around the TV!

The minibar was in the living room, and featured a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase, plus complimentary Nespresso coffee and tea.

There were double doors separating the bedroom from the living room. The king bed in the room was supremely comfortable, with a bunch of pillows, and a plush mattress. I also appreciated the technology around the bed, including easy to access outlets, plus controls for all the room features.

The bedroom had a desk with a chair, which was the only real table in the room.

As I mentioned earlier, the Bulgari is right across the street from the Four Seasons George V, so that’s what our room looked at. Even though the street by the hotel is pretty busy, I found the sound insulation to be excellent.

The main bathroom was off the bedroom, and was mighty impressive… with one exception. I don’t know why Bulgari properties do this, but there was a single sink, and not double sinks, which are ordinarily a standard at luxury properties, especially in suites.

Other than that, though, this bathroom was ridiculously luxe. It had a massive walk-in shower with the best water pressure I’ve possibly ever had. It was like being in a car wash for humans.

There was also a beautiful, marble soaking tub.

The toilet was in a room off the main part of the bathroom, and had a bidet-style toilet.

There was also a very nice vanity area, as you’d expect for such a fashion-focused hotel.

Toiletries were from… well, I think you can guess what brand. 😉

I also appreciated the huge selection of other products that were available, from shaving cream to a sewing kit.

There was also a lovely welcome amenity waiting for us on arrival, including some bottled water, chocolate, fruit, pastries, and a bottle of champagne. Parisian properties tend to be pretty generous with their welcome gifts.

All-in-all, I thought the suite was incredible, despite a couple of quirks. This isn’t your typical old world Parisian hotel, for better or worse. Of the Bulgari properties I’ve stayed at, I think this one might just have my favorite design.

Bulgari Paris spa & pool

The Bulgari Hotel Paris has an impressive wellness area, which occupies 1,300 square meters (14,000 square feet), across two floors (under the ground floor). I didn’t get any spa services, but the spa has nine treatment rooms, with treatments in partnership with Amala, Bellefontaine, 111 Skin, Ananné, and Augustinus Bader. You can find the full spa treatment list here.

The hotel also has a gorgeous 25-meter pool, which is open daily from 6:30AM until 10PM. It’s amazing how nice the indoor pools are at so many Parisian properties, as it has really become standard for the top hotels.

I also appreciate how Bulgari often has huge indoor hot tubs.

The wellness area goes beyond that, though, with an infrared sauna, steam room, and even an ice bath.

Bulgari Paris gym

The Bulgari Hotel Paris has a 24/7 gym, which is probably the best gym I’ve seen at any luxury property in Paris. So many of the historic properties in Paris have lackluster gyms, while this is obviously a benefit of a newly built property. The gym had a huge selection of equipment, for both cardio and strength training.

Bulgari Paris restaurant, lounge, and bar

The Bulgari brand is consistent when it comes to its food and beverage outlets at various locations. That’s great, in the sense that every property has the same excellent signature restaurant, so you know what to expect. But it’s not so great in terms of variety between properties, if you want to experience something new.

The Bulgari Paris has three food & beverage outlets, which are all located on the ground floor, next to one another.

First there’s the Bulgari Lounge, which is the all-day lobby lounge, where you can have everything from a coffee, to a cocktail, to an afternoon tea, and you can find the menu here. This is a cozy and comfortable space.

Then there’s the Bulgari Bar, which for all practical purposes overlaps with the Bulgari Lounge, since they’re right next to one another, and all the food and drinks come from the same place. You can find the menu here. While the seating is great, the bar sure is… bright.

Lastly, the hotel as Il Ristorante Niko Romito, the signature restaurant at all Bulgari properties. This is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you can find the menu here.

The restaurant also has a terrace area, but it wasn’t in use during our winter stay.

In the evening, we had a cocktail at the Bulgari Bar. The bar has a special negroni menu, which I was happy to see, and we both enjoyed our drinks. I’ve gotta say, Bulgari properties have exceptional people watching opportunities.

In the morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, and you can find the menu below.

To drink, I had an americano and a fresh squeezed orange juice, and later on, I had a smooth cappuccino.

I ordered the American breakfast set, which included a variety of bread and pastries, fresh fruit, an omelet, and a side of avocado. Yum!

We didn’t have lunch or dinner at Il Ristorante Niko Romito this time around, but we’ve eaten at the restaurants in Dubai, Milan, and Rome, and we enjoyed our meals immensely. So the restaurant is worth visiting, it’s just that we didn’t feel like we needed a fourth visit to the restaurant, especially when we had just one night in Paris.

Bottom line

The Bulgari Hotel Paris is an excellent luxury hotel, though it’s very different than most of the other top properties in the city. The Bulgari Paris has an ideal location, fashionable design, and incredible wellness area, including an expansive gym and pool.

The thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t the place to stay if you’re looking for a historic property that gives you Parisian old world charm. I’d say this is more in the competitive set of Cheval Blanc Paris in terms of the guest who might consider staying here, rather than someone who might stay at Four Seasons George V, Hotel de Crillon, etc. There are so many great hotels in Paris, and which is best really depends on the vibe you want.

What’s your take on the Bulgari Hotel Paris?