Hotel Lancaster

Luxury, comfort and excellence are the keywords of the legendary eight-storey Hotel Lancaster, which was built in 1889. It is located between Champs-Elysées and Arc de Triomphe, and so it is ideally placed for the French capital's prestige boutiques. The Parisian residence of many famous artists and stars, the hotel’s distinctive features include rare antique furniture, luxury objets d'art and paintings, and a typically French atmosphere. Guests can dine in the award-winning La Table du Lancaster. Headed by chef Michel Troisgros, it has a reputation as one of the best restaurants in the Ville Lumière.

The interior courtyard of the former mansion is now a peaceful courtyard garden, where tradition meets contemporary minimalism, creating a refreshing green oasis inspired by Asian and European tastes. The green of nature contrasts with red furnishings, with, in the warm season, attractive wood tables and chairs. The former entrance for horse-drawn carriages leads to the main hall. This, the Grand Salon, is a generous space with a high glass ceiling, with several areas for conversation and socializing. Gaming tables are accompanied by chairs with very high backrests, like something out of fairy tales. Salon Berri is another inimitable interior, with lime-green walls, antique furnishings and natural lighting creating the discreet and mellow atmosphere of sophisticated French homes. A luxurious couch, wing chairs, antique armchairs, a glittering chandelier, and giant Grasse perfume bottles transformed into lamps.
The fitness centre on the eighth floor features cardiovascular workout equipment and a sauna to help guests unwind after a busy day and tone up before going out.

Rooms and suites
Facing either Rue de Berri or the interior courtyard garden, the 46 rooms and 11 suites of the Lancaster cover 8 floors of the building. Whether intimate or very spacious, they all reflect a typically French ambience, created by rare antique furniture, luxurious objets d'art, paintings, sofas, desks, and porcelain. State-of-the-art technology is provided, including iPod stations in all rooms and suites, Wii playstation (on request), in-room safe, an LCD flat screen TV, DVD players compatible for all geographic areas, and complimentary high speed Wifi. Most of the bathrooms combine grey or beige marble and African iroko wood. The luxury bathroom fixtures, the heated towel rails and all accessories are beautifully styled to fit the period atmosphere. Likewise, towels, bathrobes and slippers are designed exclusively for the Lancaster. Korres toiletries are made from organic products. Other services available include cell phone rental, private meeting rooms, complimentary newspapers, international television stations, fax rental, and a complimentary shoe shine service. The concierge team is available to organize chauffeur-driven car transfers.

La Table du Lancaster
To create La Table du Lancaster, the hotel owners called on the talent of master chef, Michel Troisgros, winner of a Michelin star. His inspired creativity gives rise to a unique menu, with categories such as Zesty, Piquant, Sharp & Bright, Green, Sour, and Sweet. The menu is intentionally concise, and, as Troisgros himself states, "fresh produce and tangy notes are the inspiration... expressing a cuisine with a wandering soul." Highlights include oysters and shellfish in vinaigrette with tangerine, melba of scallops with caviar, frogs' legs butter with tamarind, line-caught sole with chives, and, amongst the desserts, the intriguing chocolate dim sum with curd. Definitely a culinary experience on a par with the quality and luxury of the Lancaster Hotel.
H.N. 20.5.10

Coffee in the courtyard
The Hospes Lancaster is actually built around a lovely patio of Zen inspiration, a verdant oasis of peace and calm, designed to appeal to all five senses. The rustling of the leaves is accompabnied by the murmur of water, the fragrance of flowers, and the colours of green and red. Tables and chairs are made of exotic timber, and a pebble-bed stream runs right through the centre. What better place to enjoy a quiet tea or coffee on a warm afternoon? The service is available to all from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with an extensive selection of luscious pastries.

LUXOS recommends: the king-size blackcurrant macaroon
H.N. 14.2.2012