It was time for a purely indulgent luxurious getaway, and what better destination than Paris? We had a wedding to attend in the French Alps and wanted to acclimate for several days beforehand in the City of Lights. One challenge was that we were making the trip from Montana, which is not an easy feat. Because of the need to ultimately get to Courchevel we booked on Swiss via Chicago. As mentioned, this trip was meant to pull out all the stops so we booked First Class for the Chicago-Geneva flight, and then connected Geneva-Paris. I had not experienced First on Swiss before, and I have to say it was terrific every step of the way, with a special shout out to Patti, the gate agent who checked our bags in an hour before the desks opened in Chicago and could not have been more friendly or accommodating. She also advised that we pass the time before our flight in the Polaris lounge in terminal C rather than the Swiss lounge in our departure terminal, which we did.

The Polaris Lounge offers impressive views as well as a small restaurant for à la carte meals which seemed like a good idea, but when presented with a bowl of congealed cold squash soup I (wisely) decided to wait until dinner on our flight.

With regards to the cabin service and experience, I can’t say enough good things. The cabin was full (8 seats) and there were 6 cabin crew tending to us. It was extremely professional with our every need anticipated. The Zimmerli pajamas, the welcome glass of Pommery Cuvée Louise and the treat of the crew setting up an actual table with “candles” for my husband and I to dine together made me decide on the spot that Swiss might be my new favorite airline experience. The large box of Swiss chocolates they left for us for dessert didn’t hurt either! Our beds were truly roomy and the bedding was luxurious enough that after dinner we both slept most of the way, and woke up refreshed.

Once we landed we were whisked though private passport control and then to the Swiss lounge where we had a short wait for our connection to Paris.

I will outline where we ate and what we did in Paris in my next post, but want to concentrate here on our incredible hotel, La Réserve. Located in a perfect location in the 8th arrondissement just off the Champs-Élysées and boasting a 3 star Michelin restaurant as well as an excellent spa, I could easily pretend that my suite was actually my Paris apartment. While some might find the Louis XV decor a bit too traditional, to me, it is perfect. The service was outstanding beginning even before the trip with communications between myself and the Concierge team, and continued with the bellmen, as well as servers in the restaurant; there were no missteps at all.

Upon arrival we were led up to our room, an upgrade to an Eiffel Tower view Suite (I had originally booked an Eiffel Tower view Jr. Suite). Thanks to booking through our Virtuoso agent not only did we receive the fabulous upgrade, but also breakfast, airport transfers and an $100 food and beverage credit.

We had stayed at and loved La Reserve when the hotel opened in 2015, and were impressed to find that it was just as pristine as it was nine years ago.

Hopefully these photos give you a sense of our stay, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. At times it seemed that we had daily housekeeping three times a day, and we enjoyed a daily array of sweet treats and a complimentary mini bar (soft drinks, coffee and tea) as well as goodies from the spa.

The comfortable bed and superb bedding, as well as the blackout shades ensured that we slept like babies during our stay.

The bathroom was perfection, as well as my favorite feature in Suites, the extra powder room.

Breakfast pastries included fantastic gluten-free breads and cakes, as well as perfectly brewed coffee. The staff knew our likes and dislikes from day two onward.

The public rooms made me smile each time we passed through them.

The bar at La Réserve is just as spectacular as the rest of the hotel, a perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before dinner, or a night-cap after. Here again, the bartenders and servers were excellent.

The services we received in the spa (massage, manicure, pedicure) were excellent, and there is even a large swimming pool which we did not avail ourselves to, but is a fun perk to have.

The view of the Eiffel Tower was a thrill, day or night.

In short, I LOVE La Réserve, and if you desire a truly Parisienne over-the-top experience in a lovely quiet and very safe neighborhood (it is located next to the Presidential Palace and is constantly patrolled and protected), look no further.