Maison Villeroy isn't playing at being a private residence, it just happens to also take guests. And judging by how Paris's most discerning travelers have responded, it's remarkably splendid at it.

The palace hotels get all the attention when people talk about Parisian hospitality. But eleven rooms and suites, each operating at a level most 200-room palaces can only aspire to, is a different game entirely. Every suite feels close to presidential. And when we speak of this, think about: marble baths, Promemoria furniture made to order, Vispring mattresses built by hand.