I stayed at a hotel booked through AmEx's Fine Hotels and Resorts program to see if it is worth all the hype

Le Bristol sits in a grand building on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, just off the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and about a block away from the Élysée Palace, the French president's official residence.

When you walk into the hotel, you're immediately stuck by a sense of grandeur.

Throughout the hotel, the decor adds to the tasteful, extravagant-but-not-overdone elegance of the lobby, and fits well with the couture-chic that the property strives (successfully) to cultivate.

Display cases throughout the lobby hold watches and other jewelry from boutiques around Paris.

The hotel also has a full-time resident: A cat named Fa-Raon (French for "Pharaoh"), who hangs out on the main floor and can be found snoozing on a desk or greeting guests.

During my December stay, holiday cheer was in full swing in the form of elaborate Christmas decorations throughout the lobby.

When we arrived from our red-eye flight, it was mid-morning and our rooms weren't ready yet — we took the earliest-arriving flight, so that was to be expected.

Using the on-property FHR credit, I had a 30-minute massage scheduled for that morning — I ended up going straight from breakfast to the spa.

After the massage and shower, it was time for our lunch reservation at 114 Faubourg, one of the hotel's two Michelin-starred restaurants.

I went upstairs to my room after lunch, to take a quick power nap and catch up on some work.

The hall opened into a large room — more of a studio apartment layout than a traditional "suite" with a separate bedroom and living room. It was a massive 592 square feet, according to the hotel's specs.

An ornately dressed Louis XVI bed sat against the far wall, with large French casement windows overlooking the garden on one side, and mirrored doors to a closet and the bathroom on the other.

The room had two desks — one on each side — which gave me plenty of room to spread out.

The room also had a well apportioned bathroom, with a large soaking tub, a pleasant (and hot) rain shower, and almost any toiletry you could need.

The hotel has a fitness center that I didn't get the chance to use, but the spacious pool is in its own area.

At night, there's even a nightclub — Le Bristol After Dark. We planned to have cocktails here one night, but ended up canceling because we were too tired.

Another benefit offered by AmEx Travel — which can be used whether or not you book your hotel through the FHR program — is access to travel specialists and advisors.

We worked with both the Platinum concierge and a travel advisor for this trip.

Dinner ended with cheese and dessert — and a glass of port.

Our Destination Manager was fantastic, and helped with a lot before and during the trip. She recommended a trendy, local brunch spot for our last day, and organized cool activities for us. During our first afternoon, she helped arrange a private tour at Piaget's flagship boutique, where we got to see (and touch) some of their most valuable pieces, and took a watch repair workshop with one of the brand's master watchmakers.

Our Destination Manager was fantastic, and helped with a lot before and during the trip. She recommended a trendy, local brunch spot for our last day, and organized cool activities for us. During our first afternoon, she helped arrange a private tour at Piaget's flagship boutique, where we got to see (and touch) some of their most valuable pieces, and took a watch repair workshop with one of the brand's master watchmakers.

We were there during the peak of the "yellow vest" protests, and both our Destination Manager and the hotel helped us rearrange travel and dining plans as needed, as select streets and businesses closed early. We were incredibly grateful for her help; thanks to her, we barely felt any impact, other than having to change dinner plans one night.

Our Destination Manager also suggested a super-chic cocktail bar, The Little Red Door, where we enjoyed cocktails and got to chat with the owner about the cocktail scene in Paris.

After a busy — but luxurious — two days, we headed to Cannes for the rest of the meetings, including the pitches from hotels applying to join the Fine Hotels and Resorts program.