Midway between Paris’ twin towers – the Eiffel and the Montparnasse – Rue Blomet may look unremarkable but it’s home to a small hotel and an even smaller club, the Bal Nègre, once the epicentre of chic. Frequented by Jean Cocteau, Simon de Beauvoir, Josephine Baker and Raymond Queneau, it has been closed since 2006 but reopens soon as the more appropriately named Bal Blomet.
A few blocks up, the Eiffel Blomet Hotel has undergone what the French call a ‘relooking’ of its own. Sensitive to its heritage, the approach taken by Vincent Bastie and Bruno Borrione – the former known for his contemporary-austere transformation of Les Bains Douches into a 5-star hotel, the later for years a Philippe Starck collaborator – is a re-reading rather than a recreation of the hotel’s art deco past and so new additions, like the underground pool, hammam and gym beneath the courtyard terrace, are designed to co-exist with original elements, like the stained glass roof above the staircase.
In-room, the rosewood furnishings and patterned carpets could almost be Period but the deft use of celadon, teal and aquamarine accents and an assortment of visual references adds a contemporary touch that blurs the boundaries between the 1930s and today.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
78 Rue Blomet
-
A revamped Edinburgh apartment combines Californian-style modernism with modern craftArcher + Braun have transformed an apartment in a historic house with finely tuned contemporary additions and sympathetic attention to detail
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
Gingerbread City: architects sculpt London out of the season's favourite treatUntil December 29 in Chelsea, see London brought to life in a seasonal-appropriate medium by leading architects and designers
-
First look at Maison 3, an eclectic new Parisian bar for sleepless nightsMaison 3 is an enigmatic space with a sensual atmosphere brought to life by the French studio Les Beaux Jours Architectures
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from beachfront living at Cheval Blanc Seychelles to otherworldly Zaha Hadid architecture at Me Malta
-
Dine at Paris’s historic Maison Baccarat, reimagined by chef Alain DucasseThe newly opened Ducasse Baccarat restaurant – at the crystal house’s Paris mansion – offers not just a culinary experience but a cultural encounter
-
Stylish Paris ice cream parlours for melting momentsCool off with the best ice cream in Paris: Wallpaper’s favourite scoops span from classics at chef Alain Ducasse's ‘glacerie’ to ice cream sandwiches at JJ Hings
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture loversAuberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
-
Taste Japan from the comfort of Hakuba at Cheval Blanc Paris HôtelNew restaurant Hakuba offers an authentic omakase experience orchestrated by chef Takuya Watanabe and pastry chef Maxime Frédéric
-
Contemporary coastal design rejuvenates Hôtel de la Plage in BiarritzHôtel de la Plage in Biarritz resurfaces with fresh interiors by Olivier Granet and architecture studio Gardera & Pastre
-
Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon celebrates the art of skateboarding with a new exhibitionHôtel de Crillon and The Skateroom anticipate skateboarding’s return at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a special collaboration
