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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
A gem of a first district hotel
That the Scheufele family, long-time owners of the Swiss jewelry brand Chopard, knowing a thing or two about beauty is axiomatic. So the buzz surrounding their small, very stylish new Parisian hotel, situated behind the big blue door (and on the upper floors) of Chopard’s flagship boutique, is understandable. Called, simply, 1, Place Vendôme, it consists of just five rooms and 10 suites (including a spectacular top-floor apartment, plus a library and hammam bath). The design is a joint effort between Pierre-Yves Rochon and a multi-generational group. Scheufeles assortment.
Each is unique in configuration and choice of colors, textiles, and furnishings (think lots of toile de jouy, very pretty marquetry and moldings, tall windows that welcome tons of natural light, and a thoughtful assortment of antiques). It’s a very elegant but low-key offering, with no grand see-and-be-seen lobby or bustling restaurant: rather, a relaxed, personalized check-in in the lounge, food courtesy of a former Mandarin Oriental chef, and butler service when want. want it or need it. 1-placevendome.comfrom €1,300
An open secret in the Golden Triangle
Of equally traditional bent – and equally intimate in dimensions – is the San Régis, a building more than 100 years old. private hotel in the heart of the 8th arrondissement, which for years has been an open secret destination for that same person who loves the style of a Ritz but may not like the spectacular nature of those great lady public spaces of hotels.
Like 1, Place Vendôme, its 30 rooms and 12 suites were designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, as were the various lounges and lounges, including a charming bar paneled in white oak. If your requirements include a full set of Technogym equipment and an indoor pool, this is not the place for you. What it does have: a The golden keys concierge for opera tickets and restaurant reservations, full room service menus, and four suites with a small but very nice rooftop terrace with almost ridiculously perfect views of the Golden Triangle and the Eiffel Tower. hotel-sanregis.frfrom €500
Le Meurice blooms again
One of two hotels flying the Dorchester Collection flag in the City of Light, Le Meurice is a stalwart for Fashion Week regulars, who rightly love it for many reasons. Among which: its location on Rue de Rivoli (opposite the Tuileries Gardens, just down the street from the Louvre); its generous pink champagne is poured and old-world charms enhanced with just the right amount of shimmering surfaces, rich textiles and the occasional piece of stellar contemporary design.
At the end of last year it presented a collection of 39 new suites that bring all that together in super generous spaces: the designs, by Lyon-based studio Lally & Berge, have been conceived to bring the Tuileries indoors, often with beautiful paintings hand painted Wallpapers along with trimmings and occasional stained glass flourishes: rose bushes bloom on the walls, cushions in shades of hibiscus and peach line the backs of the sofas. The bathrooms, as sexy as they can be, are clad from floor to ceiling in white marble with dark veins. The promise: a new version that does not abandon the hotel’s heritage. dorchestercollection.comfrom €1,900
The new and elegant face of the old Champs Elysees
Soon to be located at the other end of the style spectrum is the Hotel Balzac, which now boasts an anything but dated look, a sleek new design and some surprising features, including a Japanese spa and two terrace suites (the chef Pierre Gagnaire, whose three-Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name has been here for 20 years, fortunately remains).
Bertrand Hospitality, whose boutique group includes many Saint Germain favorite Relais Christine, as well as the Norman and the (also new) Château des Fleurs, has brought on Festen’s Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay, as if on trial more of its primacy was needed among hotel designers. They have remodeled the hotel’s 58 rooms and suites and dressed them in Festen’s signature (earthy, warm) tones and furnishings (favoring the austere shapes and influences of the 19th and early 20th centuries). The bar, paneled in burlwood, mirrored tables and dangerously (in a good way) dim lighting, looks set to become a place to be on the Champs-Elysées. hotelbalzac.parisfrom €590