A Love Letter from Paris
When you think of Paris, you think culture, art, shopping and romance. Craig Hough took a trip across the English Channel to stay at the luxury boutique hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres to soak in all the city has to offer.
An impossibly chic retreat for anyone who loves art and literature – and a subtle alternative to the city’s traditional 5-star hotels Le Pavillon des Lettres is privately owned by the Chevalier family, who also own Hotel Le Pavillon de la Reine and Hôtel du Petit Moulin. A luxury boutique hotel, Le Pavillon des Lettres opened in 2011. Set behind the rue du Faubourg St Honoré, it is perfectly located for some of Paris’ most famous landmarks - a short walk from the Champs-Elysées, the Jardin des Tuileries and Le Louvre. The hotel is based on a novel concept: it has 26 rooms, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each is dedicated to different writer - from A for Andersen to Z for Zola. Lines from a poem, play or text are hand-stencilled above the bed to form an integral part of the design in every room. The hotel is classically French; elegant and modern with picture-perfect views over the rooftops of Paris to the Eiffel Tower from its two top-floor suites.
Location
A 45-minute drive from Roissy Charles de Gaulle International Airport or a mere 20 minutes from the Gare du Nord (fresh off the Eurostar), Le Pavillon des Lettres is situated in the upscale 8th arrondissement, and only one street away from the high-end boutiques of Rue Saint-Honoré; within five minutes of the British Embassy. Close by is the Seine where you can easily be lulled by a boat tour to discover the wonder of Parisian architecture as you travel across the water. The hotel is also only a few steps from the Champs Elysées, opening the door to Parisian fashion houses and trends. It is also notably located near the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, an area made up of art galleries, embassies and luxury stores. Bordered by prestigious buildings, Avenue Montaigne also offers sumptuous boutiques, brands of great Parisian and European designers.
Service and Facilities
A sense of calm and relaxation hits you as you enter the hotel. The staff offered a warm welcome, creating an instantly friendly atmosphere and throughout the stay they could not have done more to enhance my stay. Having a quick look around at other guests, there was a mix of international couples discovering the city together and workers beavering away at their laptops; a central hub of chic, cosmopolitan life. The reception area was quaint and across the way was a relaxation area, which was used to serve breakfast in the morning but evolved into a haven of peace and well-being in the evening, offering the benefit of an Honesty bar for that last tipple before sleep. There is a gorgeous terrace outside the Reception area, where you can sit and enjoy a coffee whilst taking in the sights and sounds of the city. For added culture, the hotel also offers its visitors temporary exhibitions in the lounges and adorned walls to help guests discover different artists. Photographs, sculptures, paintings or literary works, are in highlighted within the hotel and, according to staff, are renewed each season.
Food and Drink
Breakfast features a great range of pastries, breads, fresh fruit, yoghurt alongside cold meats, salmon and cheeses and can be brought up to your room. The hotel also offers complimentary Tapas to guests in the early evening (from 5pm to 8pm) and there is 24 hour room service for those who are peckish in the night. The hotel is located near a plethora of bars and restaurants and so breakfast was enjoyed in bed each day and I was always out discovering the city at meal times so did not get chance to try the room service.
During my stay, Pavillon des Lettres launched The Literary Wine List, which included a wonderful selection of fine wines expertly paired with their literary equivalent. Both wines and books were selected by ELLE UK’s Literary Editor, Marta Bausells, and renowned wine expert, Gabrielle Vizzavona. With a variety of options to choose from, guests such as myself were invited to (re)discover the symbolic and sprawling Life of Pi (Yann Martel) with a mellow Muscadet in hand, sit back with a full-bodied Bordeaux and be transported to the adrenaline-fuelled kitchen of Sweetbitter (Stephanie Danler) or loose yourself, as I did, in the truly Parisian story of L’élégance du hérisson, best enjoyed with a glass of Champagne.
Guest Rooms
The rooms at Pavillon des Lettres combine the art of writing and the aestheticism of decoration to pay tribute to the talents of literature. Didier Benderli, Interior Designer at Cabinet Kerylos Intérieurs, sums up his project “as the alliance of the arts: to combine literature, painting and sculpture to create a subtle dialogue between these components. Games of colours and materials, the concept opposes raw materials to silky and sensual materials to create physical sensations in addition to the intellectual pleasure of reading. Like the 26 letters of the alphabet, the 26 rooms and suites of the hotel reveal the beauty and poetry of different authors. Behind each door of the hotel, hides the soul of literature, of a poet, of a writer, of a passionate person, of a genius who will know how to give a particular atmosphere to the room, using including pieces chosen and printed on the walls. And because sleep is nourished by beautiful images, the common thread of these texts will draw from the imagination of the night, dreams and poetry.”
In keeping with the theme lines from a poem, play or text are an integral part of the design in every room – transcribed above the bed. Each room has its own design but warm colours are used throughout. The bathrooms, which are separated from the bedroom by a glass door offers a wet room with a jacuzzi style tub and rain showers, with robes, slippers and luxury toiletries included as standard. All rooms are equipped with free wifi access, large televisions with international channels, air conditioning and an individual note in theme with your room.
Best For
Pavillon des Lettres is an impossibly chic retreat for couples that love art and literature and are looking for a subtle alternative to the city’s traditional 5-star hotels.
*This review took place before new Covid procedures were put into place.
Pavillon des Lettres, 12 rue des Saussaies, 75008, PARIS
t: +33 1 49 24 26 26
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