Cheval Blanc Paris vs the Paris Palaces: 12 Months of Rates

Cheval Blanc Paris opened inside La Samaritaine in September 2021 and won the Palace distinction in 2026, which puts it in the same conversation as the Ritz, Le Bristol, the Shangri-La, Plaza Athénée and the George V. The question we hear most is whether it is worth its price against them. So on 1 October 2026 we priced all six through our own booking engine (the one behind hotels.biirdee.com), on four test stays (10–13 Nov 2026, 27–30 Dec 2026, 12–15 Mar 2027 and 15–18 Jul 2027) and on a two-night midweek stay in every month to October 2027, and scored the 100 most recent verified guest reviews at each hotel ourselves where there were enough to score. Rates are the lowest per night the engine charged at booking; taxes the hotel collects at checkout are extra. Live rates change daily: these were the rates on 1 October 2026.

The short answer: Cheval Blanc Paris is a mid-priced palace with a top-tier reputation. It was cheaper than the Ritz in six of the seven months both sold and cheaper than the George V in eight of ten, but never the cheapest; that was Plaza Athénée in eight of the eleven months we could compare. Its prices also swing the most, from a flat $2,178 for five months to $4,065 in mid-June. For the hotel itself, see the Cheval Blanc Paris guide; for the whole brand, the guide to all six maisons.

Reading the Calendar

Three patterns stand out. Plaza Athénée is the price floor of the Paris palaces: cheapest in eight of the eleven months we could compare, and never above $2,659. The Ritz and the George V are the ceiling for most of the year, the Ritz the dearest in five months (November, December and March to May) and the George V in three (February, August and September). Cheval Blanc sits between them, flat at $2,178 from February to May and in September, then jumps: it was the dearest palace in January, June and July.

June is the expensive month almost everywhere: four of the six peaked then, and the Ritz and the George V had nothing bookable on our engine for it. If your dates are flexible, November was the cheapest month at three of the six and tied for cheapest at the Ritz, and February to April came close at most of them.

What Breakfast and Flexibility Do to the Order

Put breakfast in and the bottom of the table tightens without changing much: in November, Plaza Athénée ($1,805) and the Shangri-La ($2,153) were still below Cheval Blanc ($2,231) with breakfast added, and in March the Shangri-La ($1,948), Le Bristol ($2,054) and Plaza Athénée ($2,083) all were. Ask for free cancellation and Cheval Blanc loses ground, because its cheapest rates were all non-refundable while the Ritz's and Le Bristol's were already refundable: a flexible November stay cost $2,468 at Cheval Blanc against $2,475 at the Ritz, almost level.

Le Bristol is the quiet winner on terms, with breakfast and free cancellation in its cheapest rate on all four stays and the lowest price of all six in July ($2,030). At the Shangri-La and Plaza Athénée, adding breakfast for two to the same room cost $142–523 and $79–90 a night respectively.

If You Want a Suite

Suites are where the George V pulls away: its cheapest was $4,863 a night in November and $7,190 over New Year, and it had none on offer for our July dates. Le Bristol had the cheapest suite in March and July ($2,701 and $3,001), Plaza Athénée in November ($2,179) and the Shangri-La over New Year ($3,234). Cheval Blanc's Seine Junior Suite ($3,294–4,038) was never the cheapest, and outside July never the dearest.

What Guests Say

Only two of the six palaces have enough reviews on our platform to score. The George V scored 9.43 out of 10 across its 88 most recent reviews (an older window, flagged †), with 89% scoring 9 or more; service came up in 65% of written reviews, and those averaged 9.37. Plaza Athénée scored 8.83 on a fully recent window, the lowest of the seven Paris luxury hotels we scored, and the text suggests why: service came up in 54% of written reviews, and those averaged 7.05, well under the hotel's overall score. Cheval Blanc, the Ritz, Le Bristol and the Shangri-La have too few reviews on our platform to score, so for them the awards are the best guide we have.

Beyond the six, the best-reviewed Paris hotels on our numbers were The Peninsula Paris (9.60) and Hotel de Crillon (9.54), both on older windows; Le Meurice (9.33) also holds Three MICHELIN Keys, and the Crillon is No. 14 in The 50 Best Hotels 2026. See the Hotel de Crillon guide and the best luxury hotels in Paris for the wider field.

Our Verdict

Our verdict, and it is an opinion: book Cheval Blanc Paris for the food and the Seine-side Samaritaine setting, in spring or September, when it costs less than the Ritz or the George V and breakfast is already in the rate. Book Le Bristol when you want certainty on terms, Plaza Athénée or the Shangri-La when price leads, and the George V when the suite matters more than the bill. Over New Year, book whichever has the room you want, early: Cheval Blanc was already down to suites for 27–30 December when we checked, three months out.

For what the rest of the brand costs, see Cheval Blanc prices.

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