When the Hôtel Ritz opened in 1898, travelers were astonished by its opulence, and the mystique of the Parisian luxury hotel began. Today, however, the original grandes dames face some stiff competition from the Mandarin Oriental on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the Shangri-La on the Avenue d’Iéna, The Peninsula on the Avenue Kléber and the new Cheval Blanc on the Quai du Louvre. Needless to say, the old guard isn’t standing still. Le Bristol, the Plaza Athénée and the Ritz Paris have been extensively remodeled, while the Hôtel de Crillon has reopened after a comprehensive modernization.