Mandarin Oriental, Paris

What the classifiers highlight

Opened in 2011 as Mandarin Oriental's first French address, this hotel sits on the rue Saint-Honoré among 17th and 18th-century mansions and carries France's official Palace distinction. Forbes describes an art deco shell warmed by Asian touches, fresh orchids and silk, around a courtyard garden centered on a black marble fountain, plus a 9,700-square-foot spa walled in white origami flowers.