Honeymoon Hideaways: Paris

La cité des lumières: the backdrop for the most romantic moment in photographic history, causing time to stand still and knees to go weak with ‘Kiss by the Hotel de Ville,’ by Robert Doisneau, 1950.

Certain places have this intangible quality – quite possibly a soul. Years later, upon remembering every detail, design flourish, facial expression, the night sky, the taste of the wine becomes crystalline: a feeling suspended in that moment and the film reel upon which your love story is captured:

Scene 1 - Plaza Athenee: A jaw dropping view of the Eiffel Tower from your salon…

Scene 2 - Le Meurice: A view of Paris so vast and prolific, that you fling your arms open to drink it in…

Life defining memories call for cinematic settings, and few do it better than The Plaza Athenee, circa 1911. A celebrity hot spot, and birthplace of postwar haute couture defined by Christina Dior, you can almost hear the silk rustle as models swoosh by. Here, the Dior Institut was forged, a nexus of beauty, luxury, and technology.

Mon Dieu! Was our response when we set eyes on The Eiffel Suite 361 (a modern day Marie Antoinette’s escape, left). Lipstick pink velvet divans, a lacquered grand piano, black and crystal chandeliers, pearl-grey and fuchsia silk curtains and a floor-to-ceiling silver frame encasing a living work of art: the Iron Lady herself - the Eiffel Tower. Thrice the size of an average Parisian flat, this aesthetic homage to Louis XVI channels a shot of insouciant hipster haute.

Lounging in our salon, sipping champagne, gazing at the twinkling Eiffel Tower, there is no better place to be than here. Paris can wait.

Chef Alain Ducasse interprets fine French dining at his 3-Star Michelin restaurants La Cour Jardin and Au Plaza Athenee. Petit dejeuner means croissants piled up to the chandelier. Being on a diet here is like breathing underwater: don’t even try…

Bar du Plaza Athenee, the “it” club for fashion pros showcases Thierry Hernandez’ novel libations: Sushi Pina Coladas, and the Rose Royale.

Le Meurice, circa 1835 (bottom, right) is a dazzling centerpiece of French history located between Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. The hotel has hosted most of Europe’s kings and queens, notable artists such as Salvador Dali, composer Tchaikovsky and hundreds of stars such as Sophia Loren and Liz Tayor.

French Genius for the Art of Living happens here: They successfully marry the hotel’s 18^th century historical character with a shot of mod luxury under the tutelage of Phillippe and Ara Starck, and a dash of Monsieur Dali’s surrealist flair (a chair shaped like a shoe and a lobster telephone!).

Our room is exquisite: a luxurious love nest and intimate 18^th century Parisian apartment high atop the Jardin des Tuileres and Rue du Rivoli. The balcony reveals a sweeping panorama of every monument ensemble, so we pop open champagne and peruse our subjects below (we are royalty for 2 days!). William Oliveri, 28-year master of the darkly elegant Bar 228, agrees (over his signature Belinis):

‘Anyone, no matter who they are, who crosses the threshold of Le Meurice becomes a king or queen to us.’

Chef Yannick Alléno presides over 3-Star Michelin Le Dali and Restaurant le Meurice, where breakfast is magnifique amidstLouis XVI décor. Coco Chanel hosted many of her glittering salons and soirees right here.

The Plaza Athenee and Le Meurice are uniquely different hotels with a common thread: they have created and impacted culture and history, and also served as a dramatic backdrop to countless love affairs through the ages.

When you stay here, you feel like a part of something much bigger than yourself, yet you fit right into the storyline.

The grand finale? You get to experience the greatest love story of all time: yours.