In a world where five-star hotels have long been the norm, the French invented something more difficult to counterfeit in 2010 — the status of palace. Not five stars, but a separate category: the state officially recognizes a hotel as a "palace" if it meets over 240 mandatory criteria and passes a subjective assessment by a 12-member commission. Everything is considered: room size from 30 square meters, spa, multilingual staff, location, gastronomy, environmental policy, and even whether the hotel has its own undeniable character. Currently, only 27 establishments across France hold this status — and three have just lost it.
Two Hyatts and one Mandarin — and different reasons for failure
The decision by the Atout France commission affected Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Mandarin Oriental Paris, and Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz. This is the first loss of status since the program was established. According to Paris Select Book, Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme was criticized for "lack of renovation and renewal of offerings" — a situation identical to Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, where some spaces remained in their original state for years.
"The context for Mandarin Oriental Paris is substantially different"
Paris Select Book
Mandarin Oriental lost its status not due to decline, but because it is scheduled to close for over a year for major renovations. The commission does not hold the "palace" status in reserve — during closure, a palace does not exist. However, the brand maintains its Paris registration through another establishment: Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, acquired in 2025, has already received status confirmation.
Notably, two of the three hotels that lost their title belong to the same chain — Hyatt. As One Mile at a Time notes, Park Hyatt Paris "failed to keep up with competitors over ten years." Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz — the former villa of Napoleon III, built for Empress Eugénie — is a hotel with an impeccable legend, but the legend does not compensate for the lack of renovation.
What changed in the system itself
A separate story is not the hotels themselves, but how the rules of the game changed. In October 2024, France reduced the validity period of palace status from five to three years. Previously, a crowned hotel could afford to be lazy for five years; now the cycle is shorter and there are fewer excuses. It was this reduction that made the current wave of status losses possible.
According to Tiana Gamez from Atout France USA, as cited by AFAR, "maintaining palace status requires continuous significant investments in staff and renovation". Some five-star hotels deliberately do not apply for this status — it creates constant pressure that some prefer to forgo.
- Official criteria — over 240, including minimum room size of 30 square meters, spa, and multilingual staff
- Subjective assessment includes location, character, heritage, gastronomy, and environmental policy
- Status validity period — 3 years (before 2024 — 5 years)
- Number of palaces in France — 27, with more than a third of them in Paris
What's next
On June 2, Tourism Minister Serge Papene will officially announce the "Palace Collection 2026." New establishments may join the list — according to La République des Pyrénées. Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme has already announced an 18-month renovation program with investments in tens of millions of euros, Mandarin Oriental expects to return after renovation by 2027. Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz remains silent for now, preparing, according to French media, a modernization plan in secret.
The question is not whether these hotels will regain their status — money will decide. The question is different: if the commission truly evaluates candidates more strictly every three years, are there any of the current 27 palaces that have reason to fear the next cycle?
