A dash of decadence isn’t something we would call altogether un-Parisian, but to open a yacht club on the magnificent Place de la Concorde seems just a little over the top – not that we hadn’t enjoyed our visit.
To celebrate the 100th birthday of the classic, Florentine Negroni cocktail, Hôtel de Crillon has created a special experience in its courtyard, partnering with iconic Italian aperitif brand Campari. The five-star property, part of Rosewood Hotels, is now home to a vibrantly coloured yacht that makes for the perfect backdrop as guests indulge in Executive Chef Boris Campanella’s authentic Italian fare in the Cour Gabriel (though when we visited, soaring temperatures made us stick mainly to Negroni cocktails).
To devise the spectacle, the Crillon hired none other than multidisciplinary artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet, recipient of Van Cleef & Arpel’s 2017 Design Parade Grand Prize. We’re told Navet was immediately ‘on board’ and, given the carte blanche, designed a space full of dreamlike references that took us straight to the Amalfi coast, a world away from busy Paris.
The ‘Yacht Club Terrace’ by Hôtel de Crillon and Campari is open daily and will run through till 4 October in the French capital. It’s a little less formal than an actual yacht club; though by all means, leave your water wings at home.
Photography courtesy of Hôtel de Crillon
