Experience the Newly Revamped Hotel Dame des Arts in Paris
Hotel Dame des Arts, formerly a drab Holiday Inn, has just been revamped by Israeli designer Raphael Navot in 2019. The hotel features a mix of French and Californian influences, offering guests a zen-like ambiance as they lounge in the comfortable sofas scattered throughout the space. The hotel’s location in Rive Gauche, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, makes it an ideal spot for exploring Paris’s famous landmarks and tourist destinations.
The Well-Designed Lobby
The lobby of the hotel exudes calm and tranquility with its low-ceiling, geometric slatted wainscoting, and a signature “moon sofa.” Navot maintained a Japanese-inspired layout by incorporating moody, natural materials and attention to detail throughout the space.
The Hotel’s Restaurant
The hotel’s restaurant, overlooked by Chef Othoniel Álvarez Castaneda, serves modern Mexican cuisine with an infusion of Central American flavors. The critically acclaimed restaurant offers an excellent list of tequila and mezcal. The menu filled with surprises, including a deconstructed avocado entree and an incredibly generous plate of spare ribs.
The Elegant Gym and Spa
Stay fit at the hotel’s elegant gym, which is located on the floor below, minus 1. The wave-shaped, wood-paneled exercise machines and free-standing weights with attractive leather handles create an upscale ambiance. The hotel’s sauna can be booked at reception, and a small spa with Absolution products will keep guests looking and feeling their best.
The Rooftop Bar
Take the elevator to the newly opened rooftop bar for a glass of champagne as the sun sets behind the Eiffel Tower. The rooftop bar offers an unforgettable experience and stunning views of Saint-Germain-des-Prés’ jumble of slate roofs.
The Bedrooms
The small but cozy rooms are designed with natural materials and Crittall-style sliding doors, which lead to bathrooms equipped with Diptyque products for an added touch of luxury.
Summary
Hotel Dame des Arts, located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Rive Gauche Paris, has undergone significant renovations to become the epitome of French-Californian fusion. The hotel boasts a well-designed lobby with a zen-like ambiance, an excellent Mexican restaurant, an elegant gym and spa, cozy bedrooms with Crittall-style sliding doors, and a newly opened rooftop bar with stunning views.
Additional Piece:
Exploring Saint-Germain-des-Prés: What to Do and See
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the most desired neighborhoods of Paris for its location, fashion boutiques, bookshops, art galleries, and cute cafés. It became popular at the end of the Second World War, with jazz and literature stars hanging around Le Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. Today, it remains a popular spot for tourists and locals alike who come to explore its cobblestone streets and old-world charm.
Visit Historical Sites
No visit to Saint-Germain-des-Prés would be complete without seeing the Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church in Paris. There is also the Napoléon III-style Musée d’Orsay, with its famous Impressionist paintings. You can’t miss the Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, which have remained almost unchanged since the 1950s.
Experience the Nightlife
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is also known for its nightlife, with several jazz venues, such as Caveau de la Huchette, and vibrant bars like Prescription Cocktail Club, making it an ideal destination for music lovers.
Shop for Fashion and Maison
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is famous for its high-end fashion boutiques, such as Sonia Rykiel and Yves Saint Laurent, but also provides a range of unique, one-of-a-kind items from local shops like Alice Alleaume for bespoke hats and Mariage Frères for rare tea blends.
Take an Afternoon Break at a Café
There are enough cafés in Saint-Germain-des-Prés to provide visitors with options on which one to visit. Find a spot to relax, sip some coffee, and watch the world go by as you take in the sights and sounds of the surroundings.
Conclusion
Saint-Germain-des-Prés has long been a beloved destination for travelers visiting Paris. The area is full of historical sites, excellent nightlife, high-end fashion boutiques, and quaint cafés. The Hotel Dame des Arts, located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, provides guests with easy access to nearby attractions and top-notch amenities. Whether it’s exploring the area or relaxing at the hotel, a stay at Hotel Dame des Arts is an unforgettable experience.
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This article is part of FT Globetrotter Paris guide
Hôtel Dame des Arts, on Rue Danton, began life as an unattractive Holiday Inn, a 1950s calamity sandwiched between two Haussmanian beauties. The main things in its favor were its location in Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the Rive Gauche and its secret rooftop. When hotelier and co-owner Imshan Jamal appointed Paris-based Israeli designer Raphael Navot to give it a complete overhaul in 2019, Navot noted that the façade did indeed have some redeeming features (balconies, large windows) and all it needed was a Sandblasting, some lighting and a coat of window sill paint. The interior, however, was another matter.
Navot, named Maison&Objet’s Designer of the Year 2023 and known for his creative work on David Lynch’s Parisian nightclub Silencio, among other projects, was tapped to reinvent a tired hotel that needed to make a splash in a crowded market. The hotel’s new name, a totally made-up concoction reminiscent of both nearby Notre-Dame and the neighborhood’s artistic heritage, somehow sounds cool and arched at the same time, which is to say, utterly Parisian.
Navot’s insistence on natural materials and attention to detail is immediately apparent upon entering the hotel’s Crittall-style doors. The moody, low-ceilinged lobby, with its black charred wood floor, geometric slatted wainscoting, and signature “moon sofa” for guests to sprawl on, has a touch of Japanese Zen. This setting gives way to a 50-seat restaurant with velvet banquettes that opens onto a green courtyard beyond. The staff reflect this, too, slipping on monochrome sweatshirts emblazoned with the hotel’s name (in a font reminiscent of hip Parisian fashion label APC), which are, of course, also available to purchase at reception. Thanks to a famous nose, Arthur Dupuy, who developed a signature room scent that sprays the air, the whole place smells woody and delicious (scented candles can also be purchased at reception).
Restaurant
He restaurant It’s not the kind of neo-bistro one might expect from a posh Left Bank hotel. It is, indeed, an excellent modern Mexican that takes its creative Central American flavors lightly: not a cactus in sight, but there is, nonetheless, an excellent list of tequila and mezcal. Chef Othoniel Álvarez Castaneda’s menu is full of surprises, from a deconstructed avocado entrée topped with fresh herbs and roasted cauliflower with a lip-smacking peanut sauce, to an incredibly generous plate of spare ribs to share. A chocolate ganache with mole and coffee ice cream, with an accompanying mezcal digestif, finished me off.
While the ground floor has plenty to offer, take the elevator (with its plinky-plonky Nouvelle Vague soundtrack) up to the dazzling, newly opened rooftop bar for a glass of champagne at sunset. If you time it right, the sun will literally set behind the Eiffel Tower, casting shadows across Saint-Germain-des-Prés’ jumble of slate roofs.
Bedrooms
Rooms are small, with most of the space dedicated to a comfortable queen or king-size bed, and Crittall-style sliding doors leading to bathrooms equipped with Diptyque (non-removable) – an apt choice, given that the brand’s first store is just down the street. path. On my visit, the minibar left a lot to be desired, holding just two Tetra Paks of water, but plans are underway to expand the supply.
gym and spa
For those who want to atone for their Mexican explosion, what is surely the most elegant gym in Paris is located on the floor minus 1. With its wave-shaped wooden walls, wood-panelled exercise machines and free-standing weights with attractive leather handles , you’ll need your best retro training gear. to match
Next door is a sauna that can be booked at reception and a small spa with Absolution products.
Or grab one of the hotel’s electric bikes and lurch across the cobblestones to some shopping.
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Good for: Rooftop views from the top-floor open-air bar; being in the absolute heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés; the hotel’s excellent Mexican restaurant
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Not so good for: Delights in the room
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For your information: A private meeting room can be reserved for screenings, parties or even podcast recordings
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Bedrooms: 109, including four suites
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Double: From €320
Rebecca Rose was a guest of Hotel Dame des Arts.
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