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Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a transatlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.
Why go here?
The Ritz Paris needs little introduction: It’s one of the most iconic hotels in the world, with everyone from Coco Chanel to Marcel Proust to Kim Kardashian having walked through the famous revolving doors on the Place Vendôme and spent the night in one of its silk-canopied beds. (Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the Ritz has also served as the backdrop for multiple Vogue shoots over the decades.) But the Ritz Club Spa is its hidden secret: Tucked away on the rear side of the building, it’s a subterranean wellness oasis that blends the hotel’s, well, ritzy interior design with the latest in wellness and fitness.
What’s the vibe?
If you’re arriving for the day, the Ritz Club Spa has a dedicated entrance on Rue Cambon, where you’ll descend a staircase to be greeted by a throng of staff standing in tweed jackets behind a glossy white spaceship of a reception desk. But if you’re staying as a guest, you get the real luxury of padding down in the robes and slippers through a (somewhat labyrinthine) network of underground corridors.
After a quick pit stop in the changing rooms, you’ll step out into the spa’s dramatic crown jewel: the expansive central pool area, with its sweeping double staircase, murals of Italianate gardens on the walls, and a ceiling frescoed with a heavenly blue sky gently streaked by clouds. The treatment rooms are things of beauty too: oversized watercolor-style flowers adorn the walls, while floral light fixtures on the ceilings fade to a soothing twinkle as your treatment begins. Once you’re happily ensconced in your cabin, you’d never guess you were in the beating heart of one of the world’s most hectic cities.
The history?
There are few hotels with quite as illustrious a history as the Ritz Paris: Established in 1898 by the legendary hotelier César Ritz, it was the first hotel in the world to feature electricity on every floor and private bathrooms in every room. Things have come along since then, of course: The Ritz Club Spa opened in the 1980s and was equally game-changing in the kinds of treatments it offered, bringing collagen-infused products and other cutting-edge techniques to Paris—and quickly becoming a favorite of the city’s glitterati. (If my visit was anything to go by, the clientele here still has plenty of glitter.)
What should you try?
The Ritz is one of the very few Paris hotels to work with Biologique Recherche, the French beauty brand notorious for their strict requirements around collaborations—clearly, the team here is one they trust. (And now, the many fashion editors who make their seasonal pilgrimage to Biologique’s palatial “ambassade” on the Champs-Élysées for a facial need travel no further than the 1st arrondissement.)
On my visit earlier this year, I went for the 90-minute “ultimate hydration” facial—just the ticket after a long-haul flight—and was ushered into one of those gorgeously decorated cabins. Beginning with a classic cleanse and tone, I was then treated to a customized mask that had been adjusted to match my skin type with the specific goal of helping to drench and plump my parched visage. Emerging back into the relaxation area with a cup of freshly brewed herbal tea and catching a glimpse in one of the gilded mirrors, I was astonished to discover that my jet lag-induced eye bags had disappeared. Call it magic, or call it Biologique.
What else do we need to know?
This being Paris—and the fact that many guests are likely in town for a red carpet event of some sort—the spa comes equipped with a truly opulent hairdressers and nail bar, the latter in collaboration with the Parisian polish brand Kure Bazaar, who created a unique shade of “Ritzy” red especially for the hotel. And if you’re a gym fanatic, the mirrored fitness studio is unusually expansive for a central Paris hotel, offering cutting-edge Matrix Fitness machines and over 40 classes a week. (Including dance sessions, should you be feeling particularly inspired by a visit to the ballet at the Opéra Garnier during your Parisian sojourn.)
Who can go?
Hotel guests can use the amenities free of charge without booking. Day access is also granted to those booking treatments over a certain price threshold, and locals can join the Ritz Club Spa for the facilities and classes for a monthly fee.
Booking details for Ritz Club Spa
Address: 17 Pl. Vendôme, 75001 Paris, France
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
