Parisian hotel transformed by Philippe Starck
On the avenue between the Arc de Triomphe and Parc Monceau, grand Royal Monceau was reborn after a Philippe Starck makeover as a self-proclaimed luxury art hotel. The Raffles outpost in Paris is all about art with its own gallery, art-book shop and a dedicated art concierge.
Style
The hotel is a combination of both decadence and modernity, with exposed brickwork, plush carpets and iron railings. It’s at its best downstairs in the public spaces, the lounge stretches endlessly mixing vistas and secluded corners, with illuminated Long Bar, and a cascade of chandeliers in the stairwell. The concept store, art gallery, bookshop and private cinema show how the hotel has branched out into an overall lifestyle concept.
Rooms
The 149 rooms and suites are far from designer minimalism, rather, a Starck-conceived artistic clutter of eclectic lamps and tables, mixing retro and contemporary touches, with a vast island bed, photos and artworks propped against the wall and a guitar for you to strum. There’s even a transportable recording studio if you wish. Bathrooms are lined with mirrors and crammed with Clarins miniatures.
Food and Drink
Cocktails and chic tapas at the Long Bar have become a hot Parisian destination, and there’s a members-only enclosed red Fumoir for cigar smokers. The two restaurants have each gained one Michelin star. It’s French cuisine from recent arrival Hans Zahner at La Cuisine with its mega lamps and painted ceiling, and Tuscan specialities from Roberto Rispoli at the shell-grotto style Il Carpaccio Trattoria, with Sicilian baroque decor in a conservatory overlooking the garden.
Spa
The spa is home to the city’s biggest indoor pool, at 23m long, with mirrors covering one wall and a soothing shade of white everywhere else. The treatments are in Spa My Blend by Clarins, and offer a unique haven of peace and relaxation in the heart of Paris.
