Best Business hotels 2011

It’s time to reveal the winner – and
the six runners-up – of our third Best Business Hotels contest, as selected by our expert panel of global nomads

No doubt about it, Mandarin Oriental is at the top of its game. Having taken joint winner for Best Business Hotel 2010 with its Patricia Urquiola-designed Barcelona hotel, the Hong Kong-based group has now pocketed this year’s award, too. This time, the prize goes to its Parisian outpost, another inspiring destination in a near perfect location. Opened in June this year, the five-star property is centrally situated near the Place Vendôme, the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre, which in part explains why the room rates are among the most expensive in the city. The 99 rooms and 39 suites are decorated in a contemporary French style with oriental and art deco touches; the vast Royal Mandarin suite is one of the most luxurious in Paris,

with its private dining room and terrace offering fantastic views. The spa area includes a 15m pool, a steam room and a fitness centre. Dining-wise, Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx’s Sur Mesure restaurant offers fine French cuisine in a futuristic, all-white interior by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, while the Camélia restaurant serves up simple menus based around chef Marx’s notion of ‘45 minutes, €45’ – although it might be hard to drag yourself away from the relaxing garden setting (a treat in central Paris). Cocktails are served from a dramatic marble bar at Bar 8, while delicious French patisseries are on sale in the lobby’s chic Cake Shop.