Paris’ Hôtel Balzac offers old-world French glamour, newly renovated suites, a Japanese-inspired spa – and a Champs-Élysées location with access to the city’s best neighbourhoods

So the idea of staying near the Champs-Élysées – the touristy and often maligned shopping boulevard that runs from Place de la Concorde all the way to the Arc de Triomphe – had never crossed my mind.

On my recent visit to the City of Lights for the autumn/winter 2025 haute couture shows, however, I decided to base myself there for a couple of days before the rest of the fashion crowd touched down. My choice of accommodation was Hôtel Balzac, located just off the busy Champs-Élysées.

The hotel, which reopened last year after a lengthy renovation and redesign by French design firm Festen Architecture, is housed in a historic building where 19th-century writer Honoré de Balzac lived, and is located on Rue Balzac, also named after the scribe.

The refurbishment added a Japanese-inspired subterranean sanctuary, Spa Ikoi, which offers treatments ranging from shiatsu massage to signature facials such as Kobido and Hoshin. Tatami mats and shoji-style sliding doors make you feel like you’re escaping Paris for the far eastern nation.

A member of Relais & Châteaux, the property is discreet and quiet. Tucked away from the happening Champs-Élysées, it makes for a great spot to unwind after a long day checking out the area’s boutiques and attractions.

Hôtel Balzac’s 58 rooms and suites – some of them offering views of the Eiffel Tower – are elegant and well-appointed, their decor inspired by 1930s French design. Unlike hotels that often lose their souls after renovations by relying on unnecessary technology and bells and whistles that often add nothing, Hôtel Balzac has retained its old-world charm while still catering to the needs of modern-day luxury travellers.