Katara Hospitality, the leading hotel owner, developer and, operator in the State of Qatar, is honoured to announce that its Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris property has been granted the highest hotel ranking in France.

Atout France, the French Agency for Tourism Development has awarded the ‘Palace Distinction’ to the recently redesigned hotel. The ranking is one step higher than five stars, thus positioning Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris in the league of elite hotels in the French capital alongside just six others.

Chief Executive Officer of Katara Hospitality, said: “Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris is one of the jewels in Katara Hospitality’s portfolio of iconic hotels.

“The Palace Distinction endorses the hospitality legacy created by this hotel through decades of glorious history, unparalleled service standard provided by an enthusiastic team and a glamorous list of guests who lived its spirit over the years.”

Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris reopened in 2010 after a complete transformation under the direction of the renowned designer Philippe Starck. The elegant yet witty and colourful interiors recreate the vibrancy of Les Années Folles of the late 1920s when the hotel initially opened, infused with the artistic flair that has attracted casts of artists, intellectuals and adventurers across generations.

Omer Acar, General Manager of Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, said: “The ‘Palace Distinction’ is not just about having bigger rooms, more facilities or a higher standard of service – all of which we have. It is about something more subtle – true emotional engagement with our guests. We call this ‘emotional luxury’ and I believe it is this quality that people now look for in a contemporary luxury hotel.”

After exhaustive research into a multitude of criteria, The Palace Commission jury highlighted the exceptional location of Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, just a short stroll from the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe, its glamorous heritage and the brilliant guest list which wrote its story: amongst them General Eisenhower, novelist Joseph Kessel, Walt Disney, several Indian maharajas, King Farouk of Egypt, the Aga Khan and, more recently, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Robert de Niro, Lou Reed, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sofia Coppola and Dustin Hoffman.

The jury also praised the excellent cooking by Executive Chef Laurent André at ‘La Cuisine’ and ‘Il Carpaccio’ – both of which were awarded one Michelin star earlier this year. The judges were also particularly impressed by the hotel’s large number of suites, including some of the most expansive presidential suites in Paris, each one measuring in at an impressive 350 square metres.

Katara Hospitality announced the addition of Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris to its portfolio in January 2012.