Apartment review: La Clef Tour Eiffel, Paris

This property belongs to the Crest Collection by The Ascott Limited, a brand which comprises hotels and residences in heritage buildings. The Crest Collection is currently only represented in France with three properties in Paris and a hotel in Tours.

La Clef Tour Eiffel is housed in a 19^th century building and is listed as a hotel and residency as it comprises 83 rooms and 29 apartments.

The hotel is refurbishing 83 rooms from April 1 until September 30, followed by renovations of the apartments in the Kleber wing from early 2024 until June 30, 2024, with the lobby modernised in the meantime. The entire residence will be fully refurbished in July 2024 prior to the Olympics.

On Avenue Kléber in the 16^th arrondissement, sandwiched between the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The property is located close to Place de Trocadéro, which has a paved open space facing the landmark from which it draws its name, and a three-minute walk to Trocadéro metro station. It’s very secure, with a keycard needed to access the building and for lift access.

The beautiful Haussmanian façade is the quintessential image that many people have of the French capital. Once inside, however, you realise that it is far more contemporary and formed of two blocks separated by a leafy light well. The Etoile and Trocadéro wings are located in the Ricardo Bofill-designed block, while the Kléber wing is in the historical Haussmann building.

As you enter there is an old-fashioned winding staircase straight ahead, located behind a keycard-accessed door – this is a useful shortcut to rooms in the Kléber wing.

The reception, however, is located on the left-hand side of the entrance, with the open-plan lobby located a few steps above this. The lobby is airy and spacious, in part thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the light well and includes a comfortable lounge area which is ideal for business.

While it’s not closed off from the rest of the lobby, it manages to feel private thanks to layout of the furniture – there are chairs with tall backs facing each other on one side with lounge-style seats on the other side partitioned with tables. There is a desk at the end of the space with an iMac and printer, and passwords for high-speed, secure wifi are provided at reception.

Due to the building’s various wings, there are two banks of lifts to make it more convenient for guests to reach their accommodation but it’s fine if you take the wrong one as you can just follow the corridors which wraparound the central well.

The interiors by UK designers Buckley Gray Yeoman (BGY) seamlessly marry the traditional and contemporary, with modern facilities and furnishings along with original wall moulding and nods to the city’s fashion scene throughout, with mannequins and vintage Louis Vuitton cases.

Classic, superior, superior premium rooms and executive studios are located in the Etoile and Trocadéro wings. Deluxe rooms and deluxe one and two-bedroom apartments are located in the Kléber wing and face the avenue. There are four rooms with disability access.

All apartments include free high-speed wifi, a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge-freezer, induction hob, dishwasher, kettle, microwave, fridge, toaster, kitchen utensils and crockery.

My one-bedroom apartment (room 130) was at the end of the hallway on the first floor in the Kléber wing of the building, characterised by old-school Parisian glamour, with fashion mannequins and framed portraits in the corridors.

Floor-to-ceiling windows filled the apartment with natural light and there’s a charming Juliet ironwork balcony overlooking Avenue Kléber. The design is in keeping with the property’s heritage, with decorative mouldings from which contemporary chandeliers hang, old book sleeves on the bookshelves and a regal bedframe and cushions.

The living space included a small dining table, a desk, sofa (that can transform into a bed) and coffee table facing a flatscreen table. There are well-located plug sockets throughout the apartment, including beside the bed, and QR codes provide the hotel directory, room service options and free access to Pressreader.

The only niggle was that the cupboards were a little off the hinges, and the heavy curtains were a bit stubborn.

Bathrooms are bright and luxurious with a rain fall shower and handheld shower, though I was disappointed that the L’Occitane toiletries were in miniature bottles (though these are recyclable).

I also saw some of the refurbished Superior Premium rooms in the Trocadéro wing, which have had a contemporary makeover, featuring black-and-white images of the Tour Eiffel on the wall beside the bed and a sleek grey and black colour scheme.

Several apartments have washing machines, but there are additional washing machines and dryers on floors 2 and 4.

There is a good buffet breakfast from 7am to 11am on the ground floor which includes pastries, cold cuts, fresh juices, cereals and hot food. There are two coffee machines and Kusmi teas which can be enjoyed by guests throughout the day free of charge. The hotel also offers complimentary pastries and cakes, presumably those leftover from breakfast, in the afternoon – a dangerous (but delicious) extra.

The hotel also has an interesting partnership with MPépite to offer three-course ‘meal boxes’ for room service. These are available daily (you must request the meals at least 24 hours in advance at reception) and range from €43 to €89, with some menus designed by award-winning chefs.

There is a 62 sqm boardroom with capacity for 18 people.

There’s a large 24-hour fitness centre on the ground floor, which also offers personal training and massages on request, and a steam room.

This is an excellent deluxe accommodation on one of the city’s famous tree-lined avenues, with very warm and friendly staff, fashionable design and comfortable workspaces – in both the apartments and public spaces. I would stay again.

Fact box

• Best for Feeling like a bourgeois Parisian
• Don’t miss Chatting with the lovely staff over a pastry from the afternoon tea spread
• Price Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in January started from £593 for a Deluxe Apartment 1 bedroom
• Contact 83 Avenue Kléber 75116 Paris; +33 1 4405 7575; discoverasr.com