The Best Western Star Champs Élysées*** is located at the very heart of the most famous quartier in the capital. Just a few moments walk from the famous Place de l'Étoile, rechristened Place Charles-de-Gaulle, which was conceived by Emperor Napoleon I. From here twelve avenues branch outwards, forming a "star" shape, several of which are named after Napoleonic victories, with the Arc de Triomphe rising up in the centre. The construction of this monument, one of the most well-known in Paris, was started by Napoleon in 1806 but was only completed under the reign of Louis-Philippe, the last King of France, in the 1830s. Decorated with reliefs depicting Napoleonic battles, the Arc de Triomphe also houses a small museum. From the flat roof, one can take in a magnificent view of the avenues and the place, and take advantage of the view that runs from the Musée du Louvre to the Arche de la Défense.
Of all the avenues opening on to the place, the Champs Élysées is, without question, the most famous. It is even said to be the most beautiful street in the world. Its 700 metre length links, in a single unforgettable view, the Arc de Triomphe with the Obélisque de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries. It was only under the Second Empire that the Champs Élysées became one of the most upmarket places in the capital, when elegant townhouses started to be built here. Today the avenue offers visitors cafés, restaurants and famous brand shops. Many travel agencies, banks and large companies also have their offices here.
By taking Avenue de la Grande Armée, business people can, in just 10 minutes, reach the Palais des Congrès at Porte Maillot.
Yet as soon as you move away from the many busy avenues, you will discover a whole other side to Paris: that of a former village, with its peaceful streets and its beautiful buildings created by Haussmann at the end of the XIX century. Rue de l'Arc-de-Triomphe, despite its proximity to the bustling centre of the capital, is nevertheless at the very heart of an oasis of calm. A walk around the immediate surroundings of the Hotel Star Champs Élysées*** allows you to explore the bourgeois charm of the XVII arrondissement, a chic residential area, or the bustle of the market on rue Poncelet.
