Refined, fashionable and, above all, affluent, Paris' 16me Arrondissement (16th District) is largely residential—l'Avenue Foch is the city's most exclusive address. But that doesn't mean a lack of smart hotels and restaurants; in fact, meeting venues in the 16me Arrondissement account for some of the most magical in the City of Lights.
The modern Trocadero was created for the 1937 World Exposition. A broad esplanade with lovely gardens, monumental statuary and the famous Warsaw Fountain are at its center. On either side are the two arc-shaped wings of the Palais de Chaillot, which houses several museums such as the Musee National de la Marine (all things maritime) and the Cite de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine (French architecture), as well as the Theatre national de Chaillot—all 16me Arrondissement event venues with absolutely sensational views over the Trocadero gardens and the Eiffel Tower. Many visitors to Paris travel to the Place du Trocadero for the city's best unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower, which is just across the Seine in the 7me Arrondissement.
More event venues in the 16me Arrondissement include another relic of the 1937 World Exposition, the Palais de Tokyo. Home to the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris (which is a fine repository of 20th- and 21st-century art, the museum has four large galleries for group events, again, with stellar views of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.
The Marmottan Monet Museum is named for the art collector and connoisseur, Paul Marmottan, who bequeathed his townhouse and its contents to the French Academy of Fine Arts, but also for the painter Claude Monet. Thanks to his son, Michel, the museum contains the largest collection of Monet paintings in the world (as well as many other fine Impressionist and Post-impressionist works by other artists) and is a unique and memorable setting for a variety of events.
The Musee du Vin is one of many contemporary reminders of Paris' venerable roots. Located in the limestone cellars of the former 15th-century Passy Abbey, the museum offers wide-ranging programs such as business seminars (with lunch and wine), discovering the history of viticulture, wine classes, blind tastings and even instruction in sabering Champagne (where the cork is popped using a long knife).
Hotel venues in the 16me Arrondissement include the Renaissance Paris Hotel le Parc Trocadero, which has reopened after a complete renovation and redesign; the Shangri-La Hotel Paris (the first in Europe), which opened in December 2010 in the former Palais d’Iena. Nearby, the Bois de Boulogne is the largest park in Paris and in its very heart is le Pre Catelan, a 3 Star Michelin restaurant, owned by the late, great Gaston Lenotre. There are 13 private salons for meetings as well as gastronomic events—a romantic setting par excellence.
