Has it really been 44 years since Le Méridien opened in L’Étoile as a brand extension of Air France? Long time fans will know that far from preserving itself in aspic, the group – which has since grown into over a hundred hotels and resorts – has constantly reinvented itself, quietly, almost effortlessly keeping up with the competition.
In a sense, it’s timely that the flagship hotel is just emerging from a tip-to-toe renovation under the assured baton of London-based architects Michaelis Boyd, the French interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel, and the in-house Le Méridien team.
The hotel’s 1,025 rooms, alongside the public spaces including the Jazz Club Étoile, have been reworked with a mid-century mood board of light pastels of grey, light blue and charcoal, vintage furniture, brass finishes, and bespoke photographs of Paris’s arrondissements by the American photographer Angie McMonigal. The detailing is quirky, not least painted stitched lines on the bedroom walls that mimic the Seine and its fabled bridges, and light fixtures that suggest the contours of a supersonic jet.
This close to the Étoile, the best views in the house are from the club lounge where the panorama is dominated by the Eiffel Tower, while the ground floor courtyard and garden provide a quiet sheltered nook for whispering sweet nothings.
ADDRESS
81 Boulevard Gouvion Saint-Cyr
-
Louis Vuitton drafts contemporary artists to use the house’s silk ‘carré’ scarf as a colourful canvasIn a tradition which dates back to the 1980s, Louis Vuitton has asked five artists to reimagine its silk carré scarf using floral motifs
-
'It’s not so much about art, it's more about the process': Tim Burton at the Design Museum'The World of Tim Burton' is now open at the Design Museum.
-
Bedside lamps for illuminated nightsThe Wallpaper* edit of the best design-focused bedside lamps and where to buy them: warm and bright autumn nights with this edit of bedside lamps for your room
-
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
-
Ridley Scott turns three French farmhouses into artful holiday villasRidley Scott and family transform French farmhouses into holiday lets, the latest addition to the filmmaker’s Provençal wine estate, Mas des Infermières
-
Experience Paris like a local at Hôtel BalzacHôtel Balzac reopens its doors following a 1930s-inspired renovation by Festen Architecture
