Checking into Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, Paris

Charming Hôtel des Grands Boulevards has got it all: housed in an 18th century townhouse where every inch echoes the bon vivant glory days - think a glass-covered grand restaurant, an intimate cocktail club and elegant guest rooms - and a prime location right in the energetic quartier des Grands Boulevards.

Hôtel des Grands Boulevards is the second Paris-based hotel from the Experimental Group (the French cocktail revolutionists-turned-hoteliers known for their bars and boutique hotels in Paris, London and Verbier - to name a few) and sits behind a little passageway just off the neon-lit Boulevard Poissoniere. Even though the bars, theatres and restaurants pretty much lay at your doorstep, inside the hotel is like an oasis of calm and cool. Neighborhood favorites include the historic Passage des Panoramas (with hit-restaurant Racines), the iconic Grand Rex cinema and the lively Rue des Martyrs right at the border of Montmartre. The Grands Boulevards metro station is only 50m away from the hotel and connects to all major parts of the city. Gritty-cool Pigalle - home the groups Grand Pigalle hotel - is a 15 minutes walk, check our recommendations here.

the design

For the interior design the hotel teamed-up with the groups designer Dorothée Meilichzon who created a romantic, Marie Antoinette-approved hideaway. Expect muted tones of red and green, classic paneled walls and herringbone parquet floors in the common spaces and quirky details like old-fashioned leather tasselled room keys and golden bumblebee door knockers in the guest rooms. While the interiors might nod to 18th century France, des Grands Boulevards is everything but traditional. Here to confirm are the in-the-know Parisians and hip tourists that meet, drink and socialize at des Grands Boulevards on any given day of the week.

The Rooms

The 50 guest rooms range from 14m2 Petit’s to a 32m2 Grand Boulevards Suite - again, very Marie Antoinette with elegantly draped headboards, rustic wooden bedside tables and dried flowers. The bathrooms are dressed in vintage with white tiles and pastel walls and come with walk-in showers (some have a bath), arched mirrors and a little bag of bathroom amenities with handpicked brands like Codage Paris and Sachajuan. Rooms on the first floor come with extra high ceilings and a small terrace facing the Grand Boulevard or the courtyard. Other things we liked are a stocked minibar with spirits, a Nespresso machine, a vintage radio and mirrored tv’s.

Food and drinks

The hotel’s beating heart is the grand restaurant on the ground floor. A stunning courtyard restaurant which a retractable glass roof and terracotta tiled floors. Maybe it’s us but this place is giving us French Polynesian vibes (even though we’ve never been) with the tiki-like bar, wooden furniture, lots of plants and 70’s sofas with tropical prints. It’s the kind of place with no bad angle. The restaurant opens daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast comes as a small buffet with fresh croissants and baguettes, juices, marmalades, salmon and a selection of cheeses. The friendly kitchen staff will make sure egg’s any style and coffees will be brought to your very table. Planning to dine at the restaurant? Make sure to book in advance, especially if it’s in a weekend.

The Shell next door is the hotel’s intimate cocktail club, serving signatures only, created by the masterminds mixologists of the Experimental Cocktail Group. The setting is sensual, with hints to a Parisian boudouir. Think dimmed lights, low velvet chairs, deep red walls and a brushed golden bar in the center of it all. Order one of their originals of the menu (we recommend the Cosmo de Provence with fresh herbs) or have them shake one of your favorites that’s not on the list. Their classic margarita’s are the best in town.
The cosmo de Provence with fresh herbs from the Provence is a winner - as are their classic margarita’s.

Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, rooms from EUR 219 per night