Enjoy a luxury stay in Paris with a bookish twist
The thought of a themed hotel may not, at first, strike you as a particularly sophisticated idea, but after just one minute in the newly refurbished literary-themed Paris hotel, Le Pavillon des Lettres, the subject matter and its surroundings exude an air of elegance.
Nestled on a quiet street just a short hop from the city’s famous Champs-Elysees, the revamped sister hotel to the Pavillon de la Reine boasts 26 rooms each named after a literary great. From A to Z – think Hans Christian Andersen to Emile Zola with William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Victor Hugo et al inbetween – each room is designed around that author. Beside the bed you’ll find a stack of books from the writer’s body of work and their most famous lines scrolled across the wallpaper decorating the room.
Aside from the literary quirks, you’ll find comfortable and spacious rooms in a choice of superior or deluxe with classic French interior design in elegant muted hues. They all feature contemporary touches too, with large plasma screen TVs, air conditioning, mini bar, WiFi internet access and iPads that act as your hotel directory as standard.
A glass door with a curtain for privacy separates the main room and the connecting bathroom, and there’s also a discreetly hidden wardrobe for clothes with a safe inside.
If you really want to push the boat out, there’s also the option of two top floor suites with breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais.
Breakfast is served in the sumptuous salon area, where you can also relax with a hot or cold drink at any time throughout the day before a roaring log fire when there’s a chill in the air.
Other on-site facilities include a laundry service, care hire arrangement, and airport and railway station transfers, as well as a concierge service for booking tickets to shows, the theatre, restaurants and excursions.
Amongst the many activities the hotel is happy to book for you, is a vintage shopping tour and fashion masterclass workshop presented to you by Context Travel and Ooh La La! Vintage respectively. If you’re a fashion lover, with a particular passion for vintage attire, the concierge will discuss with you the activity options.
These include a car journey to Ooh La La! Vintage’s Paris boutique where you’ll partake in a lesson in the history of fashion whilst enjoying a glass of champagne and some homemade macaroons (could it be anymore French?!). You’ll also be able to browse the rails of vintage fashion gems and have a personal shopping experience, trying on items with styling advice from the experts. You can even give them your dress size and details of your personal taste before you go, so they will scour the vintage stores for you and present a hand-picked selection of fashion goodies when you arrive. Alternatively, the hotel can arrange for Ooh La La! Vintage to come to you and allow shoppers to try on in the privacy of their own room.
What’s more, they also offer a made-to-measure clothing service, Madame Tra La La, where you can select from 30 pieces, get measured up and have the item sent to your home in less than three weeks. Fabulous, non?
The shopping tour includes a winding route around Paris’ best vintage boutiques, from old school haberdasheries and shopping arcades to quirky stores and chic private salons.
Other activity highlights include travelling around Paris in a vintage car, namely an iconic Citroen 2CV, courtesy of 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie (contact them through their website for a quote), and a night of old school cabaret at Paris’ famous Crazy Horse for its latest show, Desirs, (from around £60 for one ticket plus half a bottle of champagne). A definite must-see!
All in all, the Hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres is an impossibly chic retreat in the heart of Paris with a bookish twist that will appeal to the more cultured traveller. We cannot wait to go back!
Hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres, 12 rue des Saussaies, 75008, Paris. Prices start at 300euros (around £250) per room per night for a superior room rising to 460euros (£385) for a junior suite. Call +33 (0)1 49 24 26 26 or click onto pavillondeslettres.com to book.
How to get there: Eurostar operates up to 18 daily train services from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord with return fares starting from £69 (from £189 return travelling in Business Premier, which now includes a delicious menu created by French culinary legend Raymond Blanc). Eurostar also offers connecting fares from more than 300 stations in the UK. Fastest London to Paris journey time is 2 hours 15 minutes. To book simply visit eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.