The city of lights might be in a slight Covid-induced pickle right now, but that doesn’t stop us fantasising about a visit. Our machinations to pop to Paris have taken a more earnest turn since we caught wind of the new Hotel Les Deux Gares in the 10th arrondissement. Here’s the 411 on this bijoux banger.
THE BASICS:
As the name suggests, the hotel lies close to both Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est train stations. In fact, it was, for many years, a station hotel — all shabby and marked by the passage of time and weary travellers. When the founder of the Touriste Group of hotels, Adrien Gloaguen, and his childhood friend Antoine Raccat got their hands on the little gem a while back they enlisted the help of British wunderkind designer/artist Luke Edward Hall to spin his very distinctive magic, and this is the finished product. Hall always designs using vivid, slightly off colours, mad patterns, and eclectic interior pieces from various eras. This is totally evident everywhere in the hotel.
City of bright: New Parisian Hotel Les Deux Gares packs a punch of brilliant colour
This new Paris hotel is très bon and très bold
Image: Supplied
The city of lights might be in a slight Covid-induced pickle right now, but that doesn’t stop us fantasising about a visit. Our machinations to pop to Paris have taken a more earnest turn since we caught wind of the new Hotel Les Deux Gares in the 10th arrondissement. Here’s the 411 on this bijoux banger.
THE BASICS:
As the name suggests, the hotel lies close to both Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est train stations. In fact, it was, for many years, a station hotel — all shabby and marked by the passage of time and weary travellers. When the founder of the Touriste Group of hotels, Adrien Gloaguen, and his childhood friend Antoine Raccat got their hands on the little gem a while back they enlisted the help of British wunderkind designer/artist Luke Edward Hall to spin his very distinctive magic, and this is the finished product. Hall always designs using vivid, slightly off colours, mad patterns, and eclectic interior pieces from various eras. This is totally evident everywhere in the hotel.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Beyond a chic place to rest your head, it also offers a gym and sauna, and across the road is the hotel restaurant — Café Les Deux Gares — a lovely little new-wave bistro with cherry-red finishes, lots of fermented foods (how on trend!), and good wine.
THE ROOMS:
There are 40, which range in size from petit to big-ish (by Paris standards). Expect Art-Deco bathrooms, trippy colours, classical touches, and views of the skyline.
Image: Supplied
WHAT WE ESPECIALLY LIKE:
The wildly stylish interiors. If the characters from Brideshead Revisited were on an acid trip in Paris, this is where they’d stay.
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• From the November edition of Wanted, 2020.