Effortless beauty in the City of Lights
spends a weekend in what must be one of the coolest hotels in the French capital
EVERYTHING about the The Hoxton Paris is effortlessly beautiful – it presents a subtle yet effective combination of grandeur, style and the contemporary, leaving a lasting impression.
The first Hoxton opened its doors in Shoreditch in 2006 and since then has set up base in Holborn, Amsterdam and now Paris and has further plans, setting its sights on America.
Prior to this trip I was unaware of three, quite important ‘facts’.
Firstly, flying to Paris takes less time than a direct train to London Euston; second, the chic city is so much more than croissants and other preconceived stereotypes; and last, but far from least, it’s home to one of the coolest hotels. Heavy emphasis on cool.
My mum and I flew direct from Manchester to Paris with Air France in what was the most comfortable and hasslefree flying experience.
The service was great on and off board, the baggage allowance was massively generous with 23kg plus hand luggage, and if that wasn’t enough, we all got a free afternoon snack of mini-muffins and coffee. Who doesn’t love mini-muffins?! It comes as no surprise that Air France offers 51 weekly flights on the 85-minute direct journey.
We arrived at Charles de Gaulle International Airport at the nice time of 4.45pm, eager to check out what was to be our home for the next two nights.
But first, we had to navigate our way out of the seemingly inescapable airport! Tickets for train and day passes for unlimited travel can be purchased at the ticket office in Terminal 2. Then, a delightful 35-minute train journey and 10-minute walk through scenic Sentier finally brought us to our much awaited destination.
It is difficult not to notice the weighty presence of history held behind the doors to The Hoxton, which extends back to the era of Louis XV in the 18th century, to its life as a clothing factory before four years of construction into the present day building.
Rather than reinventing itself completely, The Hoxton retains the history of the building with pride, and tells each story through its walls, mosaic tiles and re-purposed spiral staircases that are more than 300 years old.
On arrival we swept through what seemed like swathes of beautiful people, clinking glasses, held in a buzzing chatter; an atmosphere that complimented the aesthetics of the hotel.
We quickly found out that this was one of many events held at The Hoxton. It offers classes, talks and social events all year round, from hip-hop masterclasses to learning how to flower arrange, available for locals and residents alike. This enhances the chain’s ethos of having a welcoming open-door policy for one and all.
Next we made our way to the room and what a treat we were presented with. As we entered, we were met with the dulcet sounds of jazz being played in the background through a Roberts Radio which set an apt mood, welcoming us in with open Parisian arms.
The bedrooms fit into four categories; Shoebox, Cosy, Roomy and Biggy, with each embracing the character of the building and its unique features, spread out over five magnificent floors.
Ours was a Roomy set on the ground floor looking out onto the scenic courtyard. From the chevron timber floors to the soaring high ceilings, the room was one straight out of a contemporary, chic catalogue that makes you envious of whoever lives there, except now we were there.
In whichever room you decide is for you, free water, wi-fi and amazingly an hour of free calls to anywhere you wish in the world, are available at hand.
We carried this same eager buzz through to the hotel’s adjoining restaurant, Rivié, where we dined like queens.
The vibe in the room was electric and only got livelier as the night went on, which was a lovely distraction from the hunger we were now feeling. Even before our food arrived, we were impressed by how completely hospitable our servers were and eager to help us with any query. The menu at Rivié is minimalistic, seasonal, and the cuisine is French inspired, using only the most local and fresh ingredients.
We began with a surprise lush mocktail of orange, passion fruit, ginger, lime and soda water. Divine.
Being the most indecisive person I know, the menu was a welcome relief, choosing quality over quantity.
There were three ‘small plates’ and six ‘large plates’ to decide between, each sounding as exquisite as the next. I opted for the sea bream ceviche followed by the linguine with 12-year-old parmesan; regarded as one of the tastiest meals I have ever had. Full stop.
Following recommendations from Julie Mahè, the lovely assistant manager of Rivié, my mum and I hopped onto the nearest metro at Bonne Nouvelle the next day, to explore Paris. We managed to fit in a walk up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for gorgeous views of the city, a quick tour of the Louvre before lunch and a simply magnifique evening stroll by the Eiffel Tower.
In between all of this sightseeing we couldn’t resist to squeeze in some shopping at the historic district of Le Marais; a hub for all things quirky and quaint. On our final morning at the Hoxton, we were sent an invitation to take part in circuit training with Chez Simone, a fitness and wellbeing company, spearheaded by a female duo. We laughed between downward facing dogs and lunges and it turned out to be a perfect way to spend our remaining time.
On a whole our first experience of the Hoxton and all it had to offer was absolument parfait and it certainly won’t be our last.
AZKHA stayed at The Hoxton, Paris (thehoxton. com/paris/paris/ hotels). Rooms cost from £97pn (including a free breakfast bag). She travelled from Manchester Airport to Charles de Gaulle International Airport with Air France. Air France offers 51 weekly flights on the 85-minute direct journey from Manchester Airport to
Paris. The airline offers UK customers both comfort and seamless convenient connections to over 130 destinations worldwide via its award-winning hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Direct flights between Manchester and Paris start at £69 return, inclusive of taxes and charges. To book or for information, visit airfrance.co.uk or call the reservations line on 0207 660 0337.