A Luxury Hotel with Bohemian Charm

It was in these rooms that James Joyce finished writing Ulysses and in this quarter on the Left Bank of the Seine, born in the 6^th century around the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, that 20^th century writers, artists and musicians created their masterpieces. The historical identity of Paris is reflected in the Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain hotel. Located in the 7^th arrondissement, a few steps from Sciences Po and Café de Flore, the five-star property is part of the Chevalier hotel group and was created from the renovation of a historical building dating from the 17^th century and built for Sieur Jean Tambonneau, president of the Court of Accounts. The palace, which has previously housed a hotel in the past, is located at the intersection of Rue du Pré aux Clercs and Rue de l’Université. The building was renovated by the architectural firm Vincent Bastie and the interior design was entrusted to Didier Benderli. 

The hotel’s spaces, permeated by a bohemian atmosphere, include 47 rooms and suites in addition to common areas and venues dedicated to food & beverage offerings: the Les Parisiens restaurant, guided by chef Thibault Sombardier, and the James Joyce bar, named for the Irish writer. The 70-sq. m attic suite, the showpiece of the hotel, is also named for the writer. Once through the front door, guests are welcomed in a room with high ceilings that recall the atrium of a home. The ground floor also hosts the lounge, topped by a large skylight and enclosed by painted walls evoking the nympheas of Monet, and the library, a dedicated reading space where guests can choose from hundreds of titles of Gallimard editions. The same elegance of these rooms is also present in the restaurant: the dining room is adorned with wooden finishings and gilded canvases and filled with soft seating in shades of brown, ochre and beige. This is contrasted by stone tabletops and mosaic flooring. The concept for the bar is more glamorous, featuring wooden paneling juxtaposed by velvet armchairs in powder pink and midnight blue. 

The basement spaces, previously brought to life by cabaret Quod Libet, today are occupied by the Spa des Prés, which provides guests with a swimming pool, hammam, a fitness room and a meditation and yoga room. The upper levels are dedicated to the bedrooms, all different from one another in size and layout. The bedrooms enjoy a special view overlooking the rooftops of Paris, framed by windows with retro-style fixtures and wrought-iron balustrades. Color-wise, the rooms are dominated by a pastel color palette, with some brighter touches introduced by the fabrics covering the armchairs and sofas. Hungarian-style oak parquet flooring was chosen for the floors, which then gives way to terrazzo in the bathroom, paired with marble walls with an Art Deco-style geometric pattern and custom-made wood furniture with brass trim.

Between the walls of the Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain, the works of Albert Camus, Pablo Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir and many other intellectuals who frequented literary cafés of Paris in the past live again. Didier Benderli has used their cultural legacy to inspire the interior design of the hotel. 

You might also like:

Contract & Interior Design 06

THE PLAN Contract 6 is the sixth special supplement to THE PLAN dedicated to the contract market and interior design. Out in April 2023 with THE PLAN 145, the publication brings together over 20 of the most significant projects on the international s... Read More

Paper Version

12.00 €

Add to cart

Digital version

5.49 €

Add to cart