HÔTEL ROCHECHOUART

Strolling through the Pigalle neighbourhood and into this eight

storey Art Deco relic, there’s a distinct sense of a time when the Twenties roared. A late-night hotspot on boulevard Marguerite de

Rochechouart, the hotel’s Jazz Age incarnation drew in travelling artists, intellectuals and a smattering of stars. It’s now part of Orso, a new collection of hotels run by industry veterans Louis and Anouk Solanet (also behind Hôtel Wallace), and the sultry theatrics of the

era make a welcome comeback. The couple teamed up with Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen Architecture to revive the building ’s legacy with modern touches. Some of the finest original details were restored, from the Thirties blue mosaic floor in

the restaurant to the marble staircase and glass lift. Upstairs, 106 rooms were given an autumnal, woody touch with shades of bronze,

ochre and terracotta. Decorative details, from the burl-wood headboards to the curved armchairs and alabaster suspension lamps, thoughtfully whisk guests to another time. The Sacré-Coeur looms large from northern-facing bedroom windows (and in some

cases, balconies) but is visible to all from the rooftop bar. On the ground floor, an old-world brasserie with plush banquettes serves

up comforting Parisian classics, from chicken-liver pâté to the signature crêpe cake – a family recipe guests invariably try to coax out of the staff. Come spring, the experience will come full circle

when the old Mikado club of the 1920s, one floor underground, returns as a speakeasy to begin a new chapter of Pigalle nightlife. LT

Doubles from about AED 700; hotelrochechouart.com