Six establishments joined the circle of hotels awarded the Palace distinction this year, bringing the total to thirty-three. Atout France has just opened applications for the 2027 selection, with submissions possible until 31 December 2026. Beyond the formal announcement lies a question: what becomes of a distinction conceived for the exceptional when it broadens year after year?
A distinction created to set hotels apart, not bring them together
Created around fifteen years ago to give French hospitality a tier above five stars, the Palace distinction was originally meant for a deliberately small circle: only a few properties, chosen for their history, architecture and quality of service capable of anticipating a wish before it was expressed. Palace meant more than an additional level of comfort; it described a relationship to time and gesture that ordinary rating scales could not measure. For a long time, this promise of the exceptional was the label’s entire value.
From a handful of properties to a round number
The trend of recent years tells a different story. Six new establishments received the distinction in 2026, raising the total to thirty-three hotels across France. The increase is not incidental: it reflects both a genuine move upmarket in French hospitality, which has invested heavily in renovation and service, and a deliberate strategy by Atout France, which sees Palace as a means of raising France’s profile as well as a quality label. Each new selection extends the map of French luxury hotels beyond Paris and the Côte d’Azur, towards cities and regions that would not have figured in this conversation ten years ago.
Applying remains a selective exercise
Hotels seeking inclusion in the 2027 selection must submit their applications before the end of the year, detailing what takes their offer beyond standardised luxury: distinctive architecture, the depth of the place’s history, personalised service, and the quality of its dining and wellness facilities. On paper, the process remains as demanding as it was at its inception. But the steady expansion of the circle inevitably raises questions about how these criteria are applied from one selection to the next, and whether the original standard can withstand the understandable pressure from hoteliers eager to attain this status.
Can the exceptional still mean anything in the plural?
It would be unfair to reduce this expansion to simple dilution. For travellers and professionals alike, the Palace distinction remains a reliable point of reference, and each new hotel awarded it should, in principle, have met its criteria. Yet the shift from a handful of legendary properties to around thirty establishments almost inevitably raises a deeper question that Atout France’s communications never address directly: can the exceptional continue to be marketed as its boundaries widen, or will a further tier one day be needed to identify those that still stand apart even among Palaces?
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