Paris will be the city on everyone’s lips this summer. As millions descend on the capital from home and abroad, the city’s streets, patisseries and hotels will be bursting at the seams like overflowing chocolates. You’ll be hard-pressed to find even a moment of peace amidst the Olympic madness. Or maybe you won’t want to?
Hôtel Dame des Arts, which opened on the Left Bank last year, is the perfect place to find a bit of both. The rooms and halls of this chic, design-focused hotel are a quiet, soothing haven, while the dining and party venues are delightful and lively. And that’s not even mentioning its pièce de résistance: the rooftop, which is where anyone who is anyone in the City of Lights will want to be as soon as the temperature drops to 20 degrees.
Where?
Although many visit Paris for the traditional Ottoman, bouillabaisse-based fantasy Sex and the City season six, this hotel actually feels like cool, young Paris despite being so centrally located. The Dame des Arts is a short sprint from Notre Dame as well as its Gothic sister Sainte-Chapelle and the Seine.
The jury’s still out on whether events will be allowed to take place in the Seine during the Olympics (will it be clean enough? Let’s leave that to the pros to figure out), but if so, you’re able to pop in early and grab a seat on the river bank.
It might not be in the trendy 9th, 10th or 18th arrondissement, but for an Olympic summer, would you want it to be? You are very much in the center of the action and not far from the Jardins du Luxembourg or des Plaintes, for a little more relaxing sunbathing in the park. You are also surrounded by metro stations, with Saint-Michel Notre-Dame station just 50 meters away,
style
Built in 1959, the Hôtel Dame des Arts’ is a spring chicken compared to many of its distinguished neighbours. In keeping, its decor looks fresh and stylish yet grown up. Dame des Arts doesn’t go overboard with bold colors or prints, it’s all about muted hues and careful, low lighting balanced by a sunlit courtyard and rooftop. The walls are paneled in light wood and the palette is neutral without being grey.
Many of the seats in the lobby and dining area are rounded booths so couples can sit comfortably together. The rooftop reflects the colors of the Paris cityscape, letting the colorful drinks and guest outfits speak for themselves. Oh, and it has the most stylish ashtrays you’ve ever seen. Apparently many non-smoking guests buy them just to leave their house keys. I’m still kicking myself for forgetting to stash one in my luggage.
Which room?
While the Dame des Arts offers several rooms and suites with views of the Eiffel Tower, the small rooms are perfectly styled. Dame des Arts makes great use of the small spaces in each of its 109 rooms, and even its 12 square meter classic rooms feel spacious and perfectly intimate.
In every room, you’ll find upholstered headboards in ecru and heather, accompanying luxuriously king-sized beds, Diptyque toiletries and some of the most aesthetically pleasing hotel bathrooms you’ve ever seen. Anyone looking for a bathroom renovation in London: take note, this is how you style a small space.
Food drink
Although the party may be well advertised as being on the (rooftop) of the hotel, the downstairs is just as worthy of a visit, if not more so. The restaurant, offering fine Mexican cuisine, is ideal if you are looking for an alternative to classic French cuisine, especially if you want to try an original fusion, as it combines Mexican, French and Pan-Asian. The flavors work perfectly together, bringing out the power in even the simplest of dishes. Classic dishes like guacamole have a more delicate flavor, and the bluefin tuna and sea bream tostadas are as good as they get. Still, there’s nothing — nothing — quite like corn tempura. I’d buy an entire Eurostar ticket just to come back for this meal.
And with every punch the food packs, the drinks rise to meet it. Enjoy a perfect Pamela followed by a floral French spritz. The brave can even pair a shot of tequila with their lime pudding and jalapeño sorbet. It works, trust me.
Best for…
Anyone looking for a young, fun weekend getaway without compromising on style. If you want to pop over to Paris during the Olympics just for the mood, this is a great place to soak up the sun and sit by the Seine or join a viewing party in the park. Dame des Arts also has its own parties every weekend, as well as events such as Oyster Hour (almost every Monday) and Comedy Club nights.
Double rooms available from £306 per night damedesarts.com
