In Paris, it’s not just monuments, museums, and restaurants that have defined the city for generations—it’s fashion that truly unlocks the heartbeat of the City of Light.

For the style-minded, looking more closely at Paris’ people, maisons, and ateliers that define its symbiotic relationship with craftsmanship adds even more meaning to your stay. And when that stay is at Cheval Blanc Paris, your SmartFlyer travel advisor collaborates with the property’s stellar concierge to secure unparalleled access behind some of the fashion world’s most guarded doors. Join us as we delve into this face of Paris that thrums with ingenuity, history, and—without fail—beauty. You’ll notice it first at the hotel entrance. Jean-Michel Othoniel was given carte blanche for the hotel’s façade, creating Les Fleurs de la Passion, a fifty-five-foot bas-relief made from metal, glass, and gold. Othoniel describes Cheval Blanc Paris as “a Maison imbued with poetry, where art and life mingle,” adding that it is “a place that trusts artists and puts them forward, too.”

Few sartorial stages offer a more prominent display of style than Paris Fashion Week. Womenswear Spring/Summer Fashion Week runs each year from late September to early October, whereas the Menswear shows are in mid-January, followed by the Autumn/Winter Womenswear show in March. During these periods, France’s capital becomes a whirlwind of activity—The Devil Wears Prada almost undersells the flurry of flashing camera bulbs, VIP arrivals, and the way the streets turn into a living runway.

While the official runway shows may be invite-only, the high energy of Paris Fashion Week extends well beyond the presentations themselves, giving those visiting during this period the opportunity to feel the creative energy without even needing a seat on the front row. For the Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 season, the showroom session will be held at the Palais de Tokyo, offering another glimpse into the fashion calendar while highlighting collections and designers before they enter the wider retail and editorial cycle.

With fashion forever being one of the defining characteristics of the city, there’s perhaps no better place to put yourself at the center of the action than with a stay at Cheval Blanc Paris. Since its highly anticipated opening in September 2021, its prime location in the First Arrondissement—combined with the building’s already rich history—has made this address one of the most well-positioned in Paris. Notably, the property is connected to La Samaritaine, a department store that had long been a part of Parisian life before reopening in June 2021 after a sixteen-year closure.

The long-beloved La Samaritaine began its legacy back in 1870 with a tiny boutique on Rue de Pont-Neuf, opened by Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ, which eventually expanded into the department store that became one of the city’s most prominent commercial landmarks. LVMH acquired La Samaritaine in 2001 and began its meticulous restoration a few years later. Following five years of revitalization and an alleged $750 million investment, the seven-floor landmark department store reopened in 2021, just months before the ten-story Cheval Blanc Paris.

Notably, the property is connected to La Samaritaine, a department store that had long been a part of Parisian life before reopening in June 2021 after a sixteen-year closure.

The LVMH connection between these two projects adds another dimension to the unparalleled access Cheval Blanc Paris offers its guests today. As one of only six hotels currently in the Cheval Blanc portfolio, guests can expect the same level of refinement as they’ve come to know across LVMH’s fashion brands, including maisons like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Celine, Fendi, Givenchy, Loewe, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Chaumet, and Guerlain. This connection matters because it weaves your Paris Fashion Week stay into a one elaborate tapestry: while each house retains its own identity, they sit within a larger fashion ecosystem that Cheval Blanc Paris will help you navigate as you explore the intrinsic connection between hospitality and fashion.

A Maison at the Door of Many Maisons

Your experience of staying at Cheval Blanc Paris begins with a sense of arrival anchored by its unparalleled views of Pont Neuf bridging the Seine. But even prior to setting foot on the property, the unparalleled access afforded as part of your stay will set the tone. Upon touchdown, your SmartFlyer travel advisor will ensure you receive a complimentary private airport transfer with dedicated meet-and-greet service at Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget—the private aviation terminal—about one hour from the hotel, and Orly only about forty-five minutes away.

Wilfried Morandini, General Manager of Cheval Blanc Paris, describes the Maison as a place where “the art of emotion engages all your senses,” creating “a private and intimate getaway.” In a building that began as a tiny boutique in 1870, became one of Paris’ most celebrated department stores, and was eventually restored under LVMH, that experience is now part of a much larger story about how the group brings its maisons together in the city, particularly when all of Paris has its eye on Fashion Week.

Once you’ve checked in, the scale of the Maison, while still managing to feel like a boutique hotel, cannot be overlooked. The hotel has seventy-two rooms and suites, each designed to feel like your private home and featuring a large bay window overlooking Paris. Your dedicated butler will be sure to show you around, making themselves available for the duration of your stay. Depending on your suite selection, you’ll have a view of Notre-Dame, the Louver, the Eiffel Tower, Pont Neuf, or the Seine. Éric Fratty, Director of Design and Construction, described the property’s hospitality philosophy succinctly: “Cheval Blanc Paris is all about uncompromising excellence: all the rooms have spectacular views and the same attention to detail.”

L’Appartement Suite doesn’t just grant you access to some of fashion’s most rare experiences…it gives you more than 10,000 square feet across the eighth and ninth floors.

Beyond the property’s jaw-dropping views, the architecture stands out. The rooms start at around 500 square feet and only get more spacious. The largest residence option takes the private home concept even further. L’Appartement Suite doesn’t just grant you access to some of fashion’s most rare experiences outside of the hotel; it gives you more than 10,000 square feet across the eighth and ninth floors. The residence includes seven bedrooms, several lounges and dining rooms, a wellness area, a projection room, a panoramic terrace, and a private swimming pool. For those who require even further discretion, a separate entrance lets you use the residence as an entirely secure base in Paris while retaining Maison services.

Access Money Can’t Buy

You’ll get access to several fashion moments that you couldn’t access at any other stay.

When you stay at Cheval Blanc Paris, the LVMH connection is undeniable. When you book a stay in the Ravel or Quintessence Suites—which, when combined, create the expansive L’Appartement suite—you’ll also get access to several fashion moments that you couldn’t access at any other stay. They aren’t even for sale; instead, you can select one of the following as part of the included excursions for guests of the two top suite tiers.

Your first option is a tour of the Dior Heritage archives; a truly rare opportunity. Dior opens the archive doors to very few of its VICs, only two or three times a year, and has granted exclusive access to Cheval Blanc Paris as well. The experience begins in the private library with a collection of books, artworks, and references that inspired Christian Dior himself, alongside his original sketches. The visit continues into the historic ateliers, where haute couture creations from the 1950s are restored. The last stop on this tour is the archive’s climate-controlled vaults, where some of Dior’s most iconic gowns are carefully conserved and kept completely out of public view. End the day with a reservation at Café Dior by Yannick Alléno.

Then, there’s the option to choose a private visit to the Louis Vuitton workshops in Asnières, one of the Maison’s most emblematic sites just a few miles outside of Paris. It was where Vuitton moved after outgrowing his Parisian headquarters in 1859. The tour of the Art Nouveau house, still home to Asnières artisans who create those iconic LV trunks, is paired with an intimate teatime.

For those who want to bring home a new item, you’ll also have the option of private after-hours shopping appointments at Louis Vuitton or Dior, when you can have the store completely to yourself. You can also book a private styling session at the Louis Vuitton Hôtel Particulier, which Vuitton has completely redesigned to give the maison’s most valued guests an intimate experience.

Horophiles (watch lovers) have their own opportunity for an ultra-rare private encounter with the savoir-faire of LVMH’s Watches & Jewelry Maisons. This includes a Hublot mechanical watchmaking masterclass or a hands-on TAG Heuer movement workshop led by a watchmaker traveling from Switzerland, the watchmaking capital of the world. Jewelry lovers can choose between a private visit to Chaumet’s historic salon and archive, or to the Maison FRED Héritage, where exceptional pieces and archival treasures tell the story of the Maisons. For champagne lovers, there’s the private visit to the ultra-exclusive invitation-only Moët Hennessy Private Apartment, featuring exceptional pieces and a tasting tailored to your preferences.

Finally, for those who want to pair the runway with, well, running, your suite stay can secure you an exclusive matchday experience in a Hublot VIP box at Parc des Princes stadium, home to Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Your ideal gameday seats will be preceded by a visit to the Hublot Vendôme boutique for the chance to outfit yourself with a watch before the match.

A Signature Design for the Design-Oriented

Part of the power of a Fashion Week stay at Cheval Blanc Paris is knowing the level of care and craftsmanship that goes into runway designs is rivaled by the property itself. Architecture fans will swoon over the details shaped by architects Peter Marino and Édouard François who created the hotel. Marino approached his first hotel project as though he were designing a private residence, selecting individual works of art, furniture, materials, and craftsmanship to give the Maison its own character.

Interiors bring together more than twenty types of marble, alongside leather, parchment, hand-painted patinas, straw marquetry, woven metal, sculptural furniture, and bespoke lighting.

“At Cheval Blanc Paris, you’ll feel the energy and dynamism of the present,” Marino said. “Living in the moment, intensely.” His interiors bring together more than twenty types of marble, alongside leather, parchment, hand-painted patinas, straw marquetry, woven metal, sculptural furniture, and bespoke lighting.

The art collection further compliments the architecture. Sonia Delaunay’s lithographs hang against lemon wood, while a vast blue canvas by Georges Mathieu commands the lobby. The staircase railing in L’Appartement was commissioned by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, while works by Vik Muniz, Philippe Anthonioz, and Laurence Montano appear throughout the Maison.

The art and architecture provide yet another link between the stay and the sartorial world. That is perhaps the most distinctive feature of staying here: the LVMH connection is not an abstract corporate relationship sitting behind the hotel.

For High Fashion and Every Moment in Between

The seventh floor of Cheval Blanc Paris provides another vantage point to savor the property and its ample amenities. A suspended garden extends around the Michelin-starred Le Tout-Paris, where the restaurant and bar open toward the Seine and a 360-degree horizon. It’s an optimal setting for breakfast, lunch, an afternoon drink, or even a nightcap. But it’s far from the only culinary destination on property. Chef Arnaud Donckele has created a three Michelin-starred restaurant centered on his distinctive approach to sauces, with his “Absolutes” evolving with the seasons, at Cheval Blanc Paris’s signature restaurant, Plénitude. Called “the pinnacle of fine dining” by the Michelin Guide, Donckele blends multiple European cuisines to deliver something entirely creative.

The exceptional fine dining doesn’t stop with Plénitude. Hakuba, awarded two Michelin stars, brings Japanese cuisine to the ground floor. Here, Chef Takuya Watanabe delivers perfected sushi, along with more inventive creations like shellfish dashi. Rounding out the culinary options is Langosteria, which introduces Italian seafood to the mix. Also located on the seventh floor of Cheval Blanc, this brasserie is as tasty as it is trendy, with rooftop views of the Seine, a cool crowd, and a nice list of Italian-inspired cocktails.

The wellness facilities offer a way to find reprieve from the non-stop pace of Paris, particularly during Fashion Week. In keeping with its keen attention to detail, the property’s swimming pool is lined with handcrafted mosaics and accompanied by a fitness area, sauna, hammam, and Rossano Ferretti Salon. The Dior Spa Cheval Blanc Paris offers technology-powered treatments, including sapphire crystal micro-abrasion, bringing Dior’s beauty expertise to the Maison.

For those craving the energy found at the center of Fashion Week who still need to keep younger travelers’ schedules in mind, Cheval Blanc has created a space for kids not yet runway ready. Families with littles have their own destination at Le Carrousel, where children up to twelve can take part in treasure hunts and activities beneath an interactive weather-themed ceiling. Connecting rooms and suites let several generations stay together, while opting to book L’Appartement affords even more space for large family celebrations and milestone occasions.

The LVMH connection remains present even when you return to your suite. François Demachy artfully crafted the property’s signature fragrance, which emanates throughout public spaces and accommodations alike. As a former in-house perfumer for Dior, he approached the project by asking, “How to interpret Paris through a perfume?” Demachy’s answer was to create two compositions for the property, because, as he explained, “the city is so multifaceted.”

A Department Store that Elevates the Stay

La Samaritaine itself is an essential part of the experience. As a guest of Cheval Blanc Paris, you’ll have access to an exclusive private entrance to the shopping complex. When you pass from the hotel to the store, you’ll be met with a stunning glass ceiling that showcases the shifting moods of Parisian weather—though, notably, without subjecting you to it. The wraparound peacock frescoes by Francis Jourdain hark back to the building’s history including Francis’ father, Frantz Jourdain, who designed the building.

But the secret star is L’Appartement Salon. In collaboration with the Cheval Blanc Paris concierge, your SmartFlyer travel advisor will arrange a private styling and shopping appointment in L’Appartement (same name, but different from the 10,000-square-foot suite back at the hotel). Rather than doing your own perusing through the seven-level department store, this service allows you to save time by having a stylist who pulls options based on your wardrobe needs, your taste, and the season’s latest looks. Plus, fragrance provides another route into the city’s craftsmanship. At Guerlain in La Samaritaine, a bespoke consultation arranged by the Cheval Blanc concierge and your advisor can take you through individual notes and compositions with specialists from one of France’s historic perfume houses.

These experiences, especially when paired with the exclusive moments offered when you book the Ravel or Quintessence Suite, are a particularly direct expression of what access can mean when a hotel, department store, and collection of luxury maisons all belong to the same group. The result is a Paris stay built around the city’s creative infrastructure during some of its most vibrant weeks of the year. Cheval Blanc Paris provides the address from which you can follow the threads—of garments and everything else. With the concierge coordinating the details, it is that the Maison gives guests a knowledgeable point of entry.