When staying in Paris’ 6th arrondissement, you’re not exactly short of fabulous places to stay – but the Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs, a modern property with the glamorous flair of yesteryear, sets a refreshingly new tone in this historical part of the City of Light.
Interior design aficionados will be familiar with the work of Fabrizio Casiraghi from his design of Hong Kong’s dragon-i nightclub and the Experimental Chalet in Verbier. At just 37, he’s rapidly becoming one of the brightest names in hospitality interior design. Fabrizio founded his design agency in Paris in 2015 with a commitment to timeless aesthetics. He focuses on creating captivating spaces for residential, hotel, restaurant, and boutique projects. For his latest challenge, the Italian wunderkind was charged with transforming a très fatigué Holiday Inn into a characterful hotel worthy of EQ Group’s growing portfolio, including the nearby Hôtel Dame des Arts.
Taking inspiration from the new name, and channelling design elements evocative of the ‘golden age of travel’ in the 1930s and 40s, Casiraghi has reimagined the 138-bedroom St Germain property as the private residence of a Parisian art collector with an extensive collection which includes lithographs from Gustav Klimt and Marc Chagall, bespoke mirrors by artist Osanna Visconti di Modrone, and bas-relief sculptures by François Gilles.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Culturalist | CDG | GMT +1 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Meet the French queens in the park (no, not those ones!).There are added reasons to venture out of the cosy confines of the Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs and walk the few blocks to Luxembourg Gardens, a 50-hectare large park based upon the Boboli Gardens of Florence. The park was created in the 17th century at the behest of Marie de Medici (widow of Henry IV), and features 100 statues, including a group known as the ‘Queens of France and Famous Women’. Amongst them were the Patroness of the City of Paris, Saint Genevieve, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and a number of Queens of France who were unsettlingly crowned whilst still children. Ironically, the park is also home to a scaled-down version of the Statue of Liberty. |
In addition, he has added design nods to vintage cruise liners and old-school luxury trains. Corridors are lined with ropes to cling to in imaginary stormy seas, walls are mahogany-panelled with brass accents, and ceilings are coffered. Carpets have a celestial pattern reminiscent of nautical maps, though otherwise, the rooms are furnished minimally. One touch we loved was the record player in our room.
The ground floor hosts Grands Voyageurs, a ‘transatlantic brasserie’, with a seafood-focused menu which combines French and American influences, where we enjoyed the sole meunière followed by apple pie served with crème crue before heading down one level to Poppy, an intimate underground bar, for cocktails.
The hotel is located within easy reach of the famous Le Bon Marché department store, as well as within a plethora of bars and restaurants. If your tastes are for the more opulent, this perhaps isn’t for you, but we found the overall effect understated and straightforward, with just enough playful touches to create a spirit-lifting sense of place. For experienced (and often weary travellers), there’s a special pleasure in unfussy, well-thought-out rooms – no scrambling around at 2am trying to work out an elaborate state-of-the-art lighting system, no need to ascertain which improvised jujitsu move will activate a water cascade. The same no-nonsense approach seems to have been employed for training the staff, who couldn’t have been more efficient, accommodating and friendly.
www.hoteldesgrandsvoyageurs.com
Photography courtesy of Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs
