La Maison Champs Elysées
WORDS BY,
NICK HENDRY
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
There is a coolness and a beauty to the surroundings that one hopes is indicative of the rest of the property.
Luckily, it is.
5 MINS READ TIME
The Golden Triangle, in Paris’ 8th Arrondissement, is one of the most stylish places in the world. Iconic French brands including Dior, Chanel and Saint Laurent all have townhouses on the leafy avenues which criss-cross the area.
The architecture is sublime, the residents are chic – the whole area looks and feels refined and elegant. It is the ideal place for fashion connoisseurs visiting Paris to base themselves. There are many 5-star hotels in the area to cater to these guests, but one has taken its commitment to fashion a little further than the rest, and to breath-taking effect. Welcome to La Maison Champs Elysées.
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
1/6
Maison Des Centraliens
La Maison Champs Elysées is found behind a smart sandstone façade on a quiet street parallel to the famous Avenue Montaigne. The entrance is discreet and well-kept – elegant, but not overly opulent like some of the baroque “Distinction Palace” hotels found elsewhere in the city. Stepping through the doors, the modernity of the design instantly grabs the attention, expertly balanced against the classic Haussmann-era exterior. When this hotel was conceived back in 2009 Parisian fashion house Maison Margiela were given free reign over the rooms, suites and public areas. The stark swathes of white and dramatic contrasting use of black which have become Margiela’s calling card are evident throughout the property.
The lobby is impressive, but not imposing – brilliant white flagstones on the floor are given a sense of playful disorder by the fact the cabochons seem to be scattered across at random, instead of set in a grid. The brightness of The White Lounge to your right is inverted by the absorbing dark of the Black Cigar Bar to your left, and the reception is hidden within a mirrored black obelisk which emerges from the centre of the floor. There is a coolness and a beauty to the surroundings that one hopes is indicative of the rest of the property. Luckily, it is.
Just as the Black and White public rooms invert each other at the entrance to the hotel, the coolness of the design is reversed in the warmth of the welcome from the team. The greetings and smiles which came from each person we met during our time here felt genuine – there was a real sense of care that our stay was comfortable, and a pride in playing a part in making that so. “Comme chez vous” (“just like at your house”) was the assertion given to us by the bar team, and it really seemed they meant it.
Of course, the main feature of any hotel stay is the room, and ours was stunning. The White Cover Suite is draped almost entirely in white cotton, with sumptuous white linen bedding and exquisite white tiling in the palatial bathroom. The overall effect was both soothing and refreshing, the comfort of the bed and quality of material making for a luxurious and restful temporary home. Lifting the covers which hung over the picture frames on the walls revealed a mixture of vintage newspaper clippings and images of local architecture, some presented upside down. It was an unusual, almost subversive, touch to have the wall adornments hidden in this way, but somehow seemed natural when viewed in the overall context of the hotel.
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
2/6
Junior Suite
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
3/6
Couloir Restauarant
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
4/6
Gilded Lounge Suite
Breakfast was taken in La Table du Huit, the on-site restaurant. Though the spring morning we happened to be there was still a touch chilly for al-fresco dining in the morning, the option to enjoy your meal on the hotel’s hidden garden terrace is there. It’s a calm oasis in the middle of the city which feels far removed from the bustle of the famous boulevard just round the corner. The enclosed dining area has its own share of greenery to look at: an enormous skylight covers the area, bathing it in natural light and offering a view of plants used to beautify the stone of surrounding buildings. The coffee was hot and delicious; the made-to-order omelettes were filled with your choice of fresh ingredients, and the pastries of a standard only to be found in a top-class Paris hotel.
After breakfast in the morning (and, if I’m honest, before dinner the previous evening) I took advantage of the Black Cigar Bar for a smoke and a cappuccino. The scorched black wood of the walls and floors are complemented by sumptuously soft black leather armchairs. The weight of the décor lends itself perfectly to smoking cigars: no distractions on the walls (as opposed to the usual, clichéd, portraits of Churchill and Ché), candles flickering gently on the tables and a tinted window allowing you to spot a friend arriving in the lobby, but protecting you from the gaze of fellow guests who pass by. I’ve been lucky enough to try many such places all over the world, and this was easily one of the best.
For all the facilities, design features and luxurious touches, the crowning glory of La Maison Champs Elysées really is the people. General Manager Valérie Allichon explains: “Our goal is to make this seem like your home in Paris. There are so many 5-star hotels in the city, so we need to stand out. We want to do that by offering a personal touch that nowhere else does.” Many businesses make claims like these, but this one truly delivers: our own treatment was wonderful from the moment we arrived, and as we waited for our taxi to Gare du Nord upon checking out we saw a steady flow of guests embracing Valérie and her team as they departed, already making their plans to return soon. I will be hot on their heels, and I recommend anyone heading to Paris to visit this magnificent, surprising, utterly beautiful hotel.
Rooms from $315. lamaisonchampselysees.com
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
5/6
Suite Houssée de Blancé
Photo: Courtesy of La Maison Champs Elysées
6/6
The Black Cigar Bar