January 23, 2007

EUROPE | PARIS | FRANCE

Paris Perfect

By Michael Rovner

Why George V is still number one.

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Few subjects have stirred as much controversy in the travel world as TripAdvisor, the web’s largest travel community. So we might have expected that their Travelers’ Choice awards would ruffle a few feathers. (We love Browns in Queenstown, New Zealand, but wouldn’t describe it as a “hidden gem.”) Still, we won’t take exception with their choice for best service, the Four Seasons Hotel George V, a perfect place to pretend to be Parisian. If anyone asks, just gesture and say that you’re in town to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Centre Pompidou, which will reopen the Musée National d’Art Moderne on January 31. Should you find yourself in the high-risk group for contracting Paris syndrome, you may consider waiting for the Louvre to open in Abu Dhabi.