The Eiffel Tower at dusk

LUXURY AT THE HOTEL NAPOLEON IN PARIS

Opening the French doors of our suite, the warm fragrant scent of the city drifted in. High above the racing traffic on Avenue de Friedland I leaned out and could see the Arc de Triomph close-by, gleaming golden in the night.

The hotel’s 101 rooms including 47 suites provide extraordinary luxury and comfort for guests. Decorated in the Empire style favoured in Napoleon’s time, colours are rich and gilding plentiful. The Youssoupov suite, our home for two nights, was a dream setting fit for an emperor. A leopard skin print carpet was an exotic addition.

Named in honour of Prince Felix Youssoupov, the suite’s wall décor included photographs of the prince and his wife Princess Irina Alexandovna. Prince Felix, as those au fait with Russian history would know, had seen it his duty to Russia to rid the country of Tsaritsa Alexandra’s favourite holy man Rasputin. When lacing wine and chocolate cake with potassium cyanide failed to fell the “Mad Monk” as he was called, Prince Felix resorted to shooting him.

Photo copyright Anne Gordon

Article posted on Sunday 17th June, 2012