City of Light Sleepers
A roundup of Paris’ new hotels
Hôtel Dame des Arts
While the biggest wow factor is undoubtedly the 360-degree views of the city from its rooftop bar, there are plenty of other reasons to check out this stunner in the buzzy Latin Quarter. Following a spectacular remodeling, this former Holiday Inn has emerged as a stylish, design-conscious 109-room hotel, all curvy lines, rich woods and glossy surfaces, with a suitable Left Bank vibe. The restaurant is predictably surprising, offering “elevated contemporary” Mexican cuisine fused with French and Japanese flavors. There is a full program of live music events, in keeping with the hotel’s chill, artsy location, and a particularly welcoming health and fitness studio with curved wood ceilings and amber lighting. damedesarts.com
Le Grand Mazarin
Le Grand Mazarin is this year’s most talked-about new boutique hotel in Paris. Its position in the ever fashionable Marais neighborhood certainly helps, but it is the 61room property’s modern take on French classicism—from in-demand designer Martin Brudnizki—that is getting style magazine editors in a spin. There is also an Israeli restaurant, Boubalé (overseen by Assaf Granit of Shabour, the first Israeli restaurant in France to win a Michelin star), two bars and, most unusually for Paris, a sunken spa featuring a decent-sized swimming pool. And then there’s the lineage to consider: Le Grand Mazarin is the first—and long awaited— Parisian address from Maisons Pariente, the family-run collection of intimate luxury hotels that includes Crillon Le Brave in Provence and Lou Pinet in Saint-Tropez. legrandmazarin.com
Brittany
This chic 40-room three-star in trendy South Pigalle is the latest offering from Madeho, a hospitality company committed to elevating the quality in the city’s mid-to-high-end market sector. Set in a beautiful post-Haussmann-style stone building, the Brittany has a boho vibe and a ground-floor neighborhood bar. Over the last couple of years, Madeho has opened several innovative hotels in Paris, including the Sookie, a four-star boutique hotel in the Marais designed like “a friend’s house in Paris” around an all-day coffee shop, and the Pley, another four-star property that pays tribute to the rich radio history of the 8th Arrondissement. This 100-room hotel features a bar, restaurant and recording studio. hotel-brittany-paris.com
Le Grand Contrôle
If you have the cash—and the time to take a 40-minute train from Paris—you can now indulge your inner Sun King at a former private home on the Château de Versailles estate. Le Grand Contrôle is a unique hotel with just 13 individually decorated rooms and suites and more than 1,000 pieces of original period furniture. The
Louis XIV cosplay begins with butlers in 18th-century duds waking guests by opening curtains, serving coffee and preparing scented baths. Regal feasts are served in the Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant, while further pampering options include The Valmont Spa and private garden tours. Le Grand Contrôle is run by luxe hospitality group Airelles, which scored a 45-year lease to operate the property as a hotel. Some proceeds fund restoration projects at Versailles. airelles.com