The Problem With the World’s Best Hotels

Bonjour! It’s Nikki Ekstein, Pursuits travel editor, still reeling from a dizzying, delicious trip to Paris, where I had the enviable pleasure of staying at the newly minted 29th-best hotel in the world, Le Bristol.

Le Bristol was one of four Parisian palaces to rank on the first-ever World’s 50 Best hotels list, published this week. It’s not hard to see why this particular spot was recognized: In a city typically short on space, it feels like a sprawling resort. Downstairs in an atelier, chefs mill their own wheat in single-varietal batches to make all the bread served in house; they also age their own cheese, churn out chocolates and pasta, and make jams to spread on lavish breakfasts that are best enjoyed—in my opinion—from the privacy of your room’s garden-facing terrace.