L'Excelsior

A Belle Époque hotel hosting fifty to one hundred fifty guests, L'Excelsior preserves original gilt mirrors, parquet, and plasterwork throughout. The grand staircase dominates arrival; it cannot be avoided, making ceremony processional inevitable. Rooms are large by period standards but lack modern amenities—narrow bathrooms, manual lifts. The dining room has a single skylight; this governs natural light throughout service. The wine list emphasizes mature Bordeaux; bottles have not turned over since nineteen seventy-two.