Hot Bed

Pompadour’s Paris

By Mary Gostelow

THIS MONTH: Paris

WHERE? The four-bedroom, 3,770-square-foot penthouse suite of Hôtel Le Bristol, right on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

WHAT? Elegant antiques and fabrics recall King Louis XV’s favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour. It’s rumored that the gloriously paneled and ornate Winter Restaurant, honored with two Michelin stars, was her private theater.           

WHY? Admire historic 1^er arrondissement rooftops as you enjoy breakfast on the balcony of this ultraluxe apartment. Afterward, spend a few hours at the Anne Sémonin Beauty Centre or simply saunter down the street for a bit of designer boutiquing.

The WOW factor: The unique rooftop pool is indoors, but its trompe-l’oeil murals, with scenes of the Riviera and real wooden bathing huts, would almost have you believe otherwise.

(Mary Gostelow is editor-in-chief of WOW.travel, the online magazine of kiwicollection.com. She is also a regular columnist for enRoute magazine.)