When my daughter Chloe was five, she posed a question with the confidence of someone already dreaming in destinations: could we go to Paris for her 10th birthday? I said yes instinctively, assuming the idea would fade with time. Instead, it stayed with her, gathering momentum as she grew. My husband Chris was soon on board, and a family trip to Paris became inevitable. Chloe dreamed of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and plenty of French pastries—but the journey would stretch far beyond Paris to London and the forests of Chantilly. On the eve of her birthday, as our flight lifted out of Vancouver toward the city she’d dreamed about for years, the anticipation felt luminous.
Bonjour, Paris!
We touched down on the morning of Chloe’s birthday and headed straight to Shangri-La Paris, the former residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, where an Eiffel Tower–facing room framed our first hours in the city. Her only birthday wish was a croissant with the tower in view, though she’d assumed we’d have to leave the hotel to find it. Watching her take in that moment is something I’ll always savor.
After crossing the Seine, we stepped into L’Alma, a French bistro with an easy local feel, before boarding a Vedettes de Paris cruise that carried us past the city’s most iconic silhouettes. We returned just in time for birthday cake and the Eiffel Tower’s evening sparkle.
The next morning began atop the Arc de Triomphe before we wandered down the Champs-Élysées, stopping at Ladurée for macarons along the way. The Dior Museum at 30 Avenue Montaigne offered an elegant tribute to the house’s legacy, while Plaza Athénée’s La Terrasse Montaigne across the street made for a polished midday pause. Back at Shangri-La, we slipped into the sunlit pool at Chi, The Spa, then ended the evening quietly, watching Paris light up from bed and anticipating the following morning’s 900-foot ascent up the Iron Lady.
Surprises Around Every Corner
Paris unfolds across twenty arrondissements, each with its own distinct character. For our next stay, we checked into Mandarin Oriental, Paris in the heart of the 1st. After a champagne welcome, we were shown to our spacious haute couture–inspired suite before settling into lunch alfresco at Camélia, where birdsong in the courtyard felt almost too perfect to be real.
A walk through the Tuileries Gardens led us to the Louvre for an afternoon of discovery before the evening shifted tone entirely. Dressed up, we crossed the cobblestones of Place Vendôme to Park Hyatt Paris for a dinner at Michelin-starred PUR’, where Chef Jean-François Rouquette delivered a tasting menu that felt both precise and theatrical.
Day four brought a different kind of enchantment. Disneyland Paris, just 45 minutes away, unfolded in a blur of movement and color. By early evening, Big Thunder Mountain had been unanimously declared the favorite ride, and we boarded the train back to Paris. Dinner at Ferdi, just minutes from the Mandarin Oriental, was initially met with little enthusiasm from my tired companions, but the tiny, toy-filled cult favorite quickly won everyone over. The cheeseburgers delivered pure comfort, and the mac and cheese earned Chloe’s full approval.
London Calling
Part of the trip remained a surprise until 10 days before departure. Chloe’s love of Harry Potter—fueled by years of rereading the series—made London an easy addition once we discovered the stage production continuing the story.
After arriving on the Eurostar high-speed train, we checked in at The Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner, where Regency elegance and white-glove service immediately set the tone. In our suite, Harry Potter-themed treats and linens delighted Chloe, while Lilibet, the hotel’s resident Siberian Forest cat (often found lounging in The Library Bar or curled up in the Withdrawing Room) added her own precious charm.
The following day played out across Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park before brunch at The Wolseley, Piccadilly’s buzzing grand cafe, and a stop at Hatchards, London’s oldest bookshop, to pick up a copy of the play. That afternoon, we headed to the West End for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a two-part, five-hour production. A brief dinner break divided the performance, though none of us were eager for the pause—we couldn’t wait to return to our seats.
Secrets and Statecraft
Our next stay, Raffles London at The OWO, brought us into a very different world. Housed within the former Old War Office on Whitehall, the meticulously restored building preserves its history, from oak-paneled rooms to the grand staircase where Winston Churchill once delivered wartime briefings. With a wealth of dining experiences, we settled in for afternoon tea, aptly themed Secrets & Spies.
Covent Garden was just a short walk away, its street performers offering a lively counterpoint before lunch at Wahaca, where a well-received children’s menu kept things easy alongside less restrained spicy margaritas.
Back at the hotel, the Guerlain Spa brought a moment of calm with its expansive pool, offering time to slow down before dinner at Paper Moon, where the pizza and panna cotta were perfection.
Back to the City of Light
We weren’t quite finished with Paris, so we returned for one final stay at L’Hôtel du Collectionneur in the 8th arrondissement. The welcome was especially cinematic: a Signature Suite with an expansive living and dining space, and an adjoining room just for Chloe, filled with balloons. It was enough to keep us in for the evening, ordering room service and letting the day settle around us.
Set near the Champs-Élysées, the hotel made it easy to wander, though we found ourselves drawn instead to Parc Monceau and the nearby Batignolles neighborhood. After a little vintage shopping, dinner took us to Mamma Primi, where a lively Italian meal and a slow walk back through familiar streets made the city feel newly ours again.
Before departing, we slipped into the recently opened spa, an Art Deco retreat with submerged massage stations that felt equal parts indulgent and playful.
In Chantilly, Life Is But A Dream
As the trip began to wind down, we traded momentum for stillness. Our final stop, InterContinental Chantilly Château Mont Royal, sits just beyond Paris, surrounded by forest. Rooms open onto sweeping greenery, and light filters through the trees in a way that immediately slows everything down. After lunch, we visited the Château de Chantilly, a sprawling estate that rewards unhurried exploration. In the gardens at Le Hameau, crème Chantilly and strawberries became the highlight for our whipped-cream enthusiast.
The following day took us to Senlis, where cobblestone streets and small shops invited us to linger. We found a café in the sun, sitting shoulder to shoulder with our small purchases and nowhere else to be. Back at the hotel, the afternoon drifted between the pool and a final dinner in the former library.
Later, we climbed to the roof to watch the sun set over the forest—the most beautiful of the two-week trip. A fitting close to a journey shaped by a question first asked years before and finally answered in full.
