The formal gardens that flank the Champs-Elysees were the site of the World Fair of 1855. Today, they are occupied by the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, just a short walk from the elegant wrought iron marquise at the entrance to Hotel San Regis. A little further, around the corner, are the celebrated fashion houses on Avenue Montaigne and Faubourg St Honore. The hotel interiors are ravishing in colour, textures and imagination, the rich patinas of the cabinet-maker*s craft contrasting with the luxuriance of antique furnishings. The objets d*art and original paintings display the owner*s passion for this house of character. The hotel has the charm and warmth of a private club having just 33 bedrooms and 11 suites, three of them with a terrace. The intimate dining room does not advertise itself but its discovery is a joy indeed. *What a lovely place to hide out* wrote Travel and Leisure.