Published on
25/05/2026 - 13:56 GMT+2
Three of France’s top luxury hotels have lost the country’s coveted “palace” distinction, in the first downgrades since the label was introduced in 2010.
Described by Le Figaro as a “devastating blow to the hushed world of luxury hotels”, the French newspaper revealed that the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Mandarin Oriental Paris and Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz have all been stripped of the title. This is following a review by the Palace Commission, the body responsible for awarding the highest distinction in French hospitality.
The commission reportedly judged that the properties no longer met the standards of excellence required to retain the distinction, with officials citing unspecified “insufficiencies” in the criteria needed to keep the label.
