Nice to Dream: Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris

Once upon a time, the palace of tomorrow. So elegant, so glamorous, so Parisian. These brief words flow across the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris website to describe the fabled hotel.

Frommer's adds a little more detail:
The Plaza Athénée, an 1889 Art Nouveau marvel, is a landmark of discretion and style. About half the celebrities visiting Paris have been pampered here; in the old days, Mata Hari used to frequent the place. The Salon Gobelins (with tapestries against rich paneling) and the Salon Marie Antoinette, a richly paneled and grand room, are two public rooms that add to the ambience of this lavish hotel. There's also a calm, quiet interior courtyard draped with vines and dotted with geraniums. The quietest guest rooms overlook a courtyard with awnings and parasol-shaded tables; they have ample closet space. Some rooms overlooking avenue Montaigne have views of the Eiffel Tower. The hotel is also home to Restaurant Plaza Athénée, where Alain Ducasse presents an award-winning menu focusing on "rare and precious ingredients."

Sometimes it's nice to just dream. More info at plaza-athenee-paris.com. (all images: Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris)