Balearic chic near Gare du Nord: Bloom House hotel, Paris

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This article is part of FT Globetrotter. Paris guide

The immediate area around the Gare du Nord is not anyone’s best option when booking a hotel in Paris. Unlike the modern pedestrian food and shopping paradise next to St Pancras, on the other side of The Spotthis scruffy 10ème pocket remains decidedly undesirable. When I heard that a stylish four-star child-friendly hotel had been built within walking distance of the Eurostar terminal, I was intrigued.

Bringing fresh Balearic vibes, stunning houseplants and beautiful of Rattan and original lighting on the unprepossessing Rue du Château Landon, Bloom House is a kind of urban oasis. Its subtle and modern exterior only gives an idea of ​​what is inside: Bloom Garden, perhaps one of the most spacious and pleasant hotel bar-restaurants in the city.

When we arrived, we had to wait a bit to check in. It had taken us a long time to overtake the other couples and families who had just arrived on the Friday night Eurostar, a sign of the early success of this elegant 90-year-old hotel. key establishment, which opened its doors at the end of last year.

Restaurant and bar

The 360-degree terracotta-clad bar takes center stage on Bloom’s spacious open-plan ground floor, where you can move from drinks to dinner to a digestif in the green garden overlooking a small swimming pool clad in modern zellige tiles. The relaxed atmosphere is, in my opinion, more Majorcan or North African than Parisian, with its ceramic shelves, fringed lampshades, Berber rugs, tiled tables and potted plants. It also has a slight concept store feel to it – I almost intended to buy one of the lovely urns or vases to check the price.

Over a welcome Wakame whiskey sour (a blend of smoked whiskey with Arcachon seaweed, elderflower syrup and nori seaweed, created by Victor Delpierre, world champion cocktail and barista), a sequin-clad Scandinavian bachelorette party mingled. gathered around a large table. In another, a French actor was quietly having a drink with friends, undisturbed.

The hotel’s restaurant, Bloom Garden, is chaired by Olivier Streiff, a chef known for being a finalist on French television shows. best chef in 2015, his striking Dalinian style and Le Relais de Saulx, the prestigious restaurant he ran in Beaune until 2021. The menu he has designed here echoes Mediterranean vibes with meze-style starters including excellent caviar. of eggplants – their version of baba ganoush – and sweetbread and cognac samosas. We continued with black cod with spicy grapefruit and crispy escarole and a delicious truffle risotto, finished with pineapple and caramel cheesecake.

Breakfast the next day, also in the open-plan restaurant area, was a leisurely brunch, with a buffet table filled with pastries, breads, ham, smoked salmon, cheese and more. The only black mark was a bland fruit salad and when we ordered coffee we were directed to a coffee machine to make our own (a superior machine, admittedly), but it was a disappointment all the same.

Accommodation

Admittedly, our room was cozy, but it was cleverly designed to make the most of the space, with an integral sink, mirror and clothes rack and a small hidden shower and toilet. The calming palette of sage, terracotta and wood, as well as the tasseled straw lampshades, made it seem more cozy than claustrophobic. A small balcony with two wicker chairs overlooked the building’s courtyard, a huge whitewashed wall adorned with the Bloom House logo, which echoed above the bed in a neon light sculpture. Cheerful artwork including the now de rigueur framed drawings of botanical ferns and a poster printed with “Mon coeur makes it bloom” added to a distinctly millennial feel.

Spa and pool

It seems like swimming pools are popping up in all the new hotels in Paris lately, although they are often just over 10 meters long; Bloom House of fish On the lower floor it extends to an impressive 18 by four metres. On a Sunday morning, it was packed with guests making the most of the massage jets, lounging on cabana beds and walking in robes and slippers between two treatment rooms and a sauna. A variety of treatments are offered, from standard massages to more extravagant procedures, such as a full body wrap with 24-karat gold dust, which I regretted not having time to try. A stylish gym next door featured an array of sleek Nohrd wood-inlaid machines and synthetic cork yoga mats for those who like to stretch in style.

At a glance

• Accommodation: 90

• Good for: A fun family stay in a central location with easy access to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est.

• Not so good for: Those who want to relax: the rooms are cozy

• For your information: Pets are allowed for an additional fee.

• Rates: Doubles from €160

• ADDRESS: 23 Rue du Château Landon, 75010 Paris

• Website; Instructions

Rebecca Rose stayed as a guest at Bloom House

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