Arriving at any hotel in France would have felt special after a year of holidays in windswept British campsites. But the new Kimpton St Honoré in Paris would tempt at any time, not least for its spectacular looks.
Set in the former Samaritaine de Luxe building, one of the city’s luxurious department stores dating back to 1917, the attention to detail partly explains why the conversion took four full years to complete behind its fabulous Art Nouveau façade.
The public spaces glow in jewel-like shades of jade, aquamarine and brushed gold and the lobby contains not one but two beautiful Art Nouveau lifts, polished to gleaming and now serving as cosy nooks for reading (while the silent, swift modern counterparts hide just around the corner).
It’s not just its chic looks either; the location is also ideal, near the Opera Garnier, within three minutes’ walk of the department stores of the Grands Boulevards and just round the corner from the luxury window shopping of the Place Vendome.
Beyond the shops, being this central means a large proportion of Paris is walkable, while our room had a tremendous view of the Eiffel Tower; after dark it could be seen in all its lit-up glory from the supremely comfortable bed.
Only seven of the 149 rooms look out onto the landmark, but the hotel’s Sequoia rooftop bar and garden also has spectacular 360-degree views over Paris for a memorable sundowner with a difference.
The first French venture of the Kimpton group, founded in San Francisco in 1981, the hotel promises a “light-hearted sense of Parisian chic” — which combines perfectly with the chain’s relaxed luxury reputation.
Not even my half-forgotten French could fluster the supremely unflappable reception and concierge team, who were patient as well as charming and cheery.
From the minute we arrived, we felt comfortably spoiled, with a few unexpected treats thrown in. While I was happy to bounce between chaise longue and armchair, my wife was delighted to find yoga mats in our room (along with the option of yoga classes on the rooftop). City bikes are also available free for guests.
We missed the daily Kimpton Social hour — free wine at the rooftop bar — but did delve into the minibar, with seriously high-end snacks, deliciously flavoured vodkas and pre-mixed cocktails, developed with the Distillerie de Paris, among other places.
Not forgetting the macarons to go with our coffee (extra points for recyclable coffee pods), a very swish turquoise notebook to record our stay, and a Rubik’s Cube.
Our room also had a beautiful egg-shaped bath as well as a separate shower cubicle large enough for a whole family, with a rain shower and full-sized and exquisite-smelling Codage toiletries.
And despite having limited time to spend in Paris, I found a moment to race to the basement pool, sauna and steam room and was delighted to have the tranquil retreat to myself, perfect after a day traipsing around the sights.
The final touch was a delicious breakfast: the Montecito restaurant transforms from a lively (and sometimes DJ-led) space at night to a tranquil breakfast area overlooking the greenery-filled central courtyard.
The buffet was groaning with delicious bread, pastries and jams but also an extensive on-trend brunch-style menu, with creative takes on dishes such as huevos rancheros, açai bowls or eggs Benedict and — even more surprisingly for Paris — vegan versions of absolutely everything.
The Kimpton spin on shakshuka might be different to the north London trendy café version but trumps anything I’ve tried in my postcode.
No need to shop around for Paris hotels any more: from start to finish, the new Kimpton is a triumph.
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