One of the world's most iconic hotels is celebrating 100 years

While Paris has over 1,600 hotels and around 100 with the coveted five-star rating, certain names have become especially cemented with French history and luxury. 

First envisioned in 1923 after Hippolyte Jammet purchased a mansion belonging to diplomat and French nobility descendant Jules de Castellane, Hôtel Le Bristol opened its doors in 1925 in the post-Great War period during which many American artists established bases in the city for their artistic pursuits.

Jammel purchased what had already been an extravagant mansion in the prestigious eighth district of Paris with a mission to outdo all other accommodations in Paris when it comes to luxury. 

That plan initially fell into disarray when World War II broke out and Le Bristol became the home of the U.S. Embassy in 1940. It took on a new life in the prosperous post-war years when top celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin and Rita Hayworth started choosing it as their home on repeated trips to Paris.

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Murder mystery game, candle partnership and reimagined suites: classic Parisian hotel marks 100 years

With the calendar now at 2025, Le Bristol launched a yearlong promotional campaign to mark its 100 years in business. 

Along with the reworking of two classic suites and several celebratory dinners and parties held throughout the year, the campaign also includes retail partnerships with French candle maker Trudon for a signature candle placed inside its 190 rooms and suites and a special edition of the classic board game Cluedo (known as Clue in North America).

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“Set in the 1930s, this playful reimagining replaces murder with the disappearance of Socrate, the hotel’s beloved Birman [a rare cat breed particularly valued at the time] mascot,” its description of the game reads. “Guests become detectives, unraveling clues in iconic locations like the Castellane Salon and Epicure’s kitchen.”

The reworked suites include Le Bristol’s Signature Honeymoon and Imperial. Signature Honeymoon now includes a wall fresco of Greek mythology’s Eros and Psyche painted by Hermès scarf artist Dimitri Rybaltchenko, while Imperial was reimagined to look like a Parisian art collector’s apartment by contemporary New York artist George Condo.

The state of luxury hotels in 2025: new challenges but thriving market overall

In February 2025, Le Bristol appointed Chef Arnaud Faye as the head of its dining and Épicure restaurant. Faye will also be promoting Le Bristol’s 100 years at Tokyo’s three-Michelin star French restaurant L’Osier later this year.

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• United Airlines places big bet on new flights to trendy destination
• A new three-star Michelin restaurant serves New York
• Another country just issued a new visa requirement for visitors

Despite an environment fueled by political turbulence and fears of a global recession, the luxury hotel market has continued to grow strong into 2025 — one report calculated that while the global luxury accommodation market was worth $154.32 billion in 2024, it is will reach $166.41 billion in 2025 and as much as $218 billion by the end of 2029.

The total number of ultra-luxury hotel rooms, or what most five-star hotels commonly refer to as their suites, is expected to increase by 12% by 2033 globally, while France, whose luxury hospitality market was worth $12.16 billion in 2024, is predicted to see a CAGR growth rate of 2.74% per year into 2033.

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