What happened
France's prestigious 'Palace' hotel distinction, awarded by Atout France, is undergoing its first major update since 2019. The new list will be announced on June 2, 2026. Three hotels will lose their Palace status for the first time in history: Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Mandarin Oriental Paris, and Hotel du Palais Biarritz (Hyatt Unbound Collection). This is particularly notable for Hyatt, which loses two of the three. A 'handful' of new hotels are expected to receive the distinction, though the list is not yet final. Potential candidates include the Ritz Paris (which has not held the status since 2016 due to a fire), Bulgari Paris, Cheval Blanc Paris, Airelles Val d’Isère, and Airelles Château de Versailles