The Best of Boutique Paris
The newest places we stayed at and loved in the City of Light.
Just ahead of the summer crush, Jeralyn checked out the latest boutique hotel openings in Paris and found a treasure trove — design details, great collabs, and excellent service (less uptight and more fun). As in:
the fashion crowd’s favorite chateâu within a Chateâu
an exciting newcomer in the Marais
a retro-futuristic stay on the Seine
a bijoux bedroom for $140 a night (you read that right)
A quick announcement: Our downloadable itineraries for A Few Days in Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast are now on sale a la carte ($25) or as a set of four ($85). Buy them for yourself or give them to friends heading to The Boot.
Jeralyn here. I escaped to Paris for a few glorious days in June to scope the latest post-pandemic, pre-Olympic hotel openings. I toured, slept, lunched, swam, and sipped tea at over a dozen spots and was delighted to find several that felt more intimate and Parisian than what I had been used to — a home away from home.
One interesting (and surprising!) thing I heard again and again from hoteliers is that travelers are steering clear of Paris this summer. As a consequence, hotels are dropping minimum stay requirements and readjusting goals after slower-than-expected Olympics sales. Airlines are feeling price pressures too, from increased competition on Paris-bound routes: Air France-KLM has said it expects a revenue shortfall.
This presents an upside for spontaneous types — especially spontaneous types who are already in Europe — who will be able to snag a cute hotel on short notice. (You’ll just have to work on getting those beach volleyball tickets at Eiffel Tower Stadium.)
The world will be talking about Paris and watching Paris 2024 and no doubt making a mental note to visit — I’m told autumn is already looking very busy — so now’s the time to get a jump start on your next Paris trip.
These are the new places I loved.
Chateâu Voltaire
A little beauty with serious je ne sais quoi. Tucked between the Opera and the Tuileries, three houses from three centuries with three different ceiling heights were combined into one intimate residence with a very stylish following. (The 5-star hotel is owned by Thierry Gillier of the fashion brand Zadig & Voltaire.)
While drinking a tiny, perfect coffee in a tiny, perfect parlor flanking a tiny, perfect bar (La Coquille d’Or), I felt the spirit of LA’s Chateau Marmont, London’s Chiltern Firehouse, and NYC’s Nine Orchard — places that do phenomenal jobs of referencing the past in a contemporary way. I did a double-take: an original Basquiat? Oui.
Thirty-one rooms mix Arts & Craft architecture, custom carpentry, and medieval tapestries. The top floor suite is a “chateâu within the Chateâu” with its own romantic landscaped terrace overlooking those iconic Paris rooftops. The brasserie is cozy and delightfully traditional. Hidden below ground is a beautiful stone pool and banya that guests may reserve for an hour to themselves. Fabulous surprise touches (like filling a room with flower petals or pink balloons on your birthday) are personalized by Lady Voltaire, who ensures that guests feel taken care of like dear friends.
