Opening Shot is a column that peeks inside new hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops with dreamy interiors.
HÔTEL DES GRANDS VOYAGEURS
Designer: Fabrizio Casiraghi
Location: Paris.
On Offer: Far from the chain-smoking youths loudly spilling out of Le Marais’ late-night cafes with their umpteenth glasses of wine in hand, the 6th arrondissement creates a charming home base fit for discerning travelers seeking a quieter side of Paris. After a recent refit by Fabrizio Casiraghi, the 138-room Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs more than fits the bill. The property welcomes guests with the architect’s signature palette of wood, velvet, leather, and bronze in the style of an art collector’s townhouse. Of course, the mix of Klimt and Chagall lithographs, bas-relief sculptures by François Gilles, and Olivier Kervern polaroids on view drives the point home. Intimate but plush rooms, as well as opulent mirrors custom made by Osanna Visconti di Modrone round out the residential feel and transport guests back to an era of slow travel, when time was the biggest luxury we didn’t know we had.
Standout Amenities: The hotel’s powerhouse art collection continues downstairs at Poppy’s bar, where patrons can imbibe among Chagall lithographs in a moody, mahogany-paneled speakeasy-style haunt. For sips and bites between most other hours of the day, head to the Franco-American brasserie upstairs. As these editors can attest, there’s nothing quite like a cappuccino and dessert before dinner— go for the Nostalgia Dulcey, a white chocolate tart with peanut praline—to snap the travel-weary out of a straight-off-the-red-eye funk. Once you’ve perked up, make the most of the hotel’s biggest highlight by far: its location.
Ten minutes away or less on foot, métro, or car, is Le Bon Marché, Sunday morning flea markets, and charming boutiques selling handmade wares. To eat and drink, don’t miss out on destination seafood restaurant Le Duc, which is revered by locals as one of the city’s best. Then top it all off with a nightcap in the Art Deco surrounds of Prescription Cocktail Club, where the charming crew will serve up a dirty martini sans any dirty looks.
