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10 extraordinary hotels beloved by luminaries past and present
Photo courtesy of Vincent Leroux
Coco Chanel: Ritz Paris
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel lived at the Ritz Paris for 34 years. And the hotel is now home to the only Chanel Spa in the world, so you can get your makeup done with new products before they hit the shelves globally. You can also stay in the Coco Chanel Suite for €18,000 per night, decorated with Mademoiselle Chanel's personal portraits, sketches and photos.
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Photo courtesy of Beau-Rivage Genéve
Eleanor Roosevelt: Beau-Rivage Genéve
Eleanor Roosevelt penned the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while staying at Beau-Rivage Genève, and now the largest suite of all is named in her honor. This is the last family-owned luxury hotel in the city, managed today by the fifth generation of the Mayer family that opened the hotel in 1865.
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Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva
Grace Kelly: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva
Grace Kelly spent six months at the Hotel de la Paix with her whole family in the 1950s, when she was president of the Red Cross as Princess of Monaco. The presidential suite, which takes up nearly the whole floor, is named in her honor and inspired by how she preferred her room set up according to old photographs. Ritz-Carlton renovated and reopened the property in 2017 as the smallest Ritz-Carlton in the world, with just 74 rooms and suites.
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Photo courtesy of The Mark Hotel
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex: The Mark Hotel
In February 2019, Meghan Markle's baby shower was hosted in The Mark's penthouse suite, with guests including Amal Clooney and Serena Williams. At $75,000 per night for the 10,000-square-foot, five-bedroom suite, this is the largest and most expensive penthouse in North America, encompassing the top two floors of the hotel. Even if you're not the Duchess of Sussex, the black-and-white striped pedicabs at The Mark will whisk guests off through Central Park and for private shopping at Bergdorf Goodman.
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Photo courtesy of Hôtel Lutetia
Josephine Baker: Hôtel Lutetia
As the Left Bank’s only grand luxury hotel, everyone from James Joyce and Hemingway to Matisse and Picasso have stayed at Hôtel Lutetia over the years. Josephine Baker was such a fixture at the hotel, performing songs like "J’ai Deux Amours," that she kept a semi-permanent suite. After a four-year, $233 million refurbishment, Hôtel Lutetia now honors her legacy with Bar Josephine and the Josephine Baker Suite, which has stunning views of the Eiffel Tower.
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Photo courtesy of Hyatt Hotels
Rock gods: Andaz West Hollywood
First opened by Gene Autry in 1963, what's now the Andaz West Hollywood was where all the touring rock groups including Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Rolling Stones would stay in the 1960s and 1970s. Continental Hyatt House, as it was then called, was better known as "Riot House" for good reason. Led Zeppelin would rent six floors at a time for the band and entourage and drummer John Bonham once rode a motorcycle down the hallway. Keith Richards (and maybe a couple others) have dropped TVs out the window and scenes from Almost Famous were filmed here.
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Photo courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Winston Churchill: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
Known for its discretion, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London has a long history with British politicians. Winston Churchill was in residence during World War II and even stayed at the hotel while his house was being decorated. He once returned at 5 am from the House of Commons and gave the chef two cigars in exchange for an early breakfast.
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Photo courtesy of Nick Gerber Photography
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio: The Drake, a Hilton Hotel
Newlyweds Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio carved their initials into the Cape Cod Room's wooden counter while laughing over drinks at The Drake, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago. Today, the Cape Cod Room is no longer, but guests can still spot these iconic initials when they visit Café on Oak, the hotel's beachy, breakfast nook overlooking Lake Michigan. Try the MM + JD Benedict duet, a culinary rendition of Marilyn and Joe’s favorite meals.
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Photo courtesy of Fairmont Empress
Bob Hope: Fairmont Empress
During the 1950s, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby were frequent guests at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia. Hope often chipped golf balls on the Empress lawns and regularly ordered boiled eggs and warm prunes for breakfast in bed. Today, the suite Hope stayed in, Room 330, is named in his honor. This was his favorite suite because the carpet in the corridor was new, and the turf of the carpet was the perfect length to practice his putting.
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Photo courtesy of Hilton Hawaiian Village
Elvis Presley: Hilton Hawaiian Village
Hilton Hawaiian Village was Elvis Presley’s favorite hotel. He stayed there seven times during his visits to Hawaii and would land his helicopter on the helipad near the hotel as anxious fans awaited. He stayed in one of the presidential suites at the resort and "his" suite was named the King Suite, as a tribute to the King of Rock n Roll.
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About Amber Gibson
Amber Gibson spends 350 nights a year in hotels searching for the latest and greatest in the travel industry. Her writing and photographs have appeared in print, online, and on the radio for outlets including Forbes, National Geographic Traveler, Departures, Four Seasons Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, NPR, Saveur, Departures, Rhapsody, Hemispheres, American Way, Private Air, and Serious Eats. She graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and received a fellowship to attend the 2017 Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley. Champagne, dark chocolate and gelato are her biggest weaknesses.
Read more about Amber Gibson here.
Connect with Amber via: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
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