latin quarter

When Seven Hotel opened its doors in 2010 (following the success of its sister The Five Hotel), it was one of the leaders of a new style of design hotel in Paris, bringing a touch of fun, whimsy and imagination to the hotel scene.

Paris may have a reputation for being slightly conservative and erring on the side of ‘good taste’, however, the city has a crazier side. Let’s not forget that Paris was once at the centre of the Surrealist and Dada movement!

The Seven Hotel is an experience like no other, and only dreamers will appreciate its charm. Located on the rue Berthollet, the Seven is on the edge of the Latin Quarter, just a few steps from the lively, foodie hotspot, rue Mouffetard. Who would have known that such a fantasy world would be hidden behind this typical Parisian Haussmann facade on a quiet residential street?

Location

The Seven Hotel may seem a little far from the city’s main attractions, but it’s close to two metro stops and The Pont-Royal RER is a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel, making handy for the Eurostar.

The hotel is best known for its 28 ‘Levitation’ rooms, with floating beds, however there are also seven themed suites, including the James Bond, the decadent Black Diamond, the urban ski lodge Lovez-vous, the all-white Sublime and the zany Alice in Wonderland-inspired Alice suite.

The Suite

I stayed in the Marie Antoinette suite, presumably where one should elegantly graze on Ladurée macarons and yell out to the Parisians below, ‘let them eat cake’! In fact, there were some typically ‘Marie Antoinette’ features, such as the ‘voluptuous lounge’ with an enormous chaise-longue, a rather regal canopy bed and a fabulous claw foot bath tub for unwinding.

The spacious suite was the most girly of boudoirs, with a large round bed, a diamond-studded velvet bed spread, dozens of cushions, attractive hand-painted fantasy world scenes and lashings of pink. Like a true ‘honorary Parisienne’ I found the crazy cushions a little de trop, as they detracted from some of the prettier features (less is more, in this case).

It was certainly a room of discoveries, with plenty of ‘push me’ buttons to activate different features. Billowing drapes covered the extensive shelving and wardrobe and there was a cute vanity dresser tucked neatly behind the bed. Strangely there were two pristine blazers hanging in both of the wardrobes. While they were meant to be decorative, they could come in handy if your date forgets his dinner jacket!

I also loved the twinkly star lights that filled the entire room and bathroom, extending to the hallways and separate toilet, which offered hot pink toilet paper, no less.

Of course, a modern day Marie Antoinette needs to be connected to the outside world (ironically my stay coincided with the French elections), so the room includes a very large flat screen TV, complimentary wifi, an iPod base and electrical sockets on each side of the bed.

Other room comforts include a complimentary Nespresso machine (although no tea), 24-hour room service, in-room massages on request and laptops available for loan.

The Bathroom

The stunning open-plan bathroom features a separate shower and claw foot bath tub and has the most adorable gold star sink. There was a generous supply of L’Occitane bathroom amenities, including shea butter hand cream, and fluffy bathrobe and slippers.

Breakfast

After a heavenly sleep, the next morning I went down to the breakfast room on the lower ground floor. The buffet breakfast was varied and excellent – definitely leaning towards the sweet side, of which Marie Antoinette would surely approve.

There was a savoury selection of really good scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and charcuterie and then a sweet array of pastries, crêpes, pancakes, waffles, muffins, brioche and macarons. I particularly liked the big bowls of speculoos spread and Nutella to smother on the pancakes and a selection of fine teas, especially my favourite, caramel tea. Also on offer are jelly snakes and gummy bears, should you wish to pimp your pancakes and start the day on a sugar high.

Breakfast can also be taken in the room or an express breakfast at the ground floor bar with velvet chairs and interesting artwork.

The Marie Antoinette suite is feminine and frothy – perfect for a girly weekend break with friends or a mother-daughter trip to Paris. Those who prefer a sleeker stay might prefer the darker, sexier ‘Levitation’ room with stark white acrylic interiors and a veil of blue and purple LED lighting. Whichever room appeals, it will certainly be an adventure!

Rooms at Seven Hotel start from €197 per night and the Marie Antoinette suite is priced at €367 per night. For more information and booking, visit: www.sevenhotelparis.com

Chérie City was a guest of Seven Hotel

Photos by Chérie City and Seven Hotel Paris

The Left Bank is synonymous with literary cafes, the Existential philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, boutique art galleries and gauche chic designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Sonia Rykiel.

Nowadays, the philosophers may have decamped from the Café de Flore, but there are still plenty of students from the Sorbonne university and academic bookshops to keep up its intellectual atmosphere.

On one of our many Paris visits last year, Steven and I stayed at the Hotel Design Sorbonne, just a few steps away from the Boulevard Saint Germain, the Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, the Seine and of course, the Sorbonne.

Tucked away on a peaceful side street, the hotel is accessed by a quaint courtyard behind white French doors. The reception/lounge is a mix of a typical French salon interior and bold, contemporary colours, flock wallpaper and striped velvet seating.

hotel sorbonne lobby

The hotel’s strong design influences are apparenty with a number of coffee table books, magazines and Paris attraction maps, as well as an iMac for web browsing.

On the way to our room, the corridor looked surreal, like something from a Jeunet and Caro film, with custers of quirky photographs and lines of poetry emblazoned on the carpet.

Our room had a dark, romantic atmosphere with a colour scheme of chartreuse, silver and black – even curtains and doors were black! The bed was extremely comfortable with fluffy pillows, crisp cotton linen and a decorative throw in complementing colours.

hotel sorbonne

The bathroom had beautiful dusky brown and gold flock tiles but was really tiny, although I’ve heard that they have rooms with larger ones if you’re staying for longer and need more space.

Like most forward-thinking hotel, they have installed an Apple iMac in each room, so you can access the web and watch TV and DVDs without hassle.

It feels like the hotel wants to give guests a more homely experience, rather than leaving us detached from the world, charging guests 10 Euros a day for using wifi. I’d much rather be my own Concierge from the comfort of my own room and then ask the hotel staff if I need anything.

hotel sorbonne

We ate breakfast outside and tried out the bakeries around the rue de Buci for a croissant and café crème, although the breakfast room at the hotel looked delicious.

One thing that impressed me most about the hotel is that they have since kept in touch by email and regularly report on their fabulous meanderings around the city on their Paris newsblog. I had serious food envy over their tasting session of mille-feuilles by legendary Paris pâtissier, Pierre Hermé and am planning to eat at La Bouche, a laid-back restaurant with innovative cuisine in Ménilmontant, which they visited and recommended.

hotel sorbonne breakfast

Hotel Design Sorbonne is part of the Hôtels de Paris Rive Gauche group, that runs three other boutique hotels on the Left Bank, with the hotly anticipated Belle Juliette luxury design hotel (formerly the Hotel Ferrandi) opening next Autumn. If you want a ‘home away from home’ or a more private stay, they also have a designer studio in the Marais, a bijou apartment by the Canal Saint Martin for up to four people and a luxury apartment in the Mouffetard area.

Hotel Design Sorbonne is the perfect base for Paris newbies, as it is within walking distance of the chic designer shops on the Boulvard Saint Germain, the buzzy Latin Quarter, the markets on Rue Mouffetard and of course, the Seine. The hotel is quiet at night due to its side street position, so if it’s all about getting up and out in the morning, you’re pretty much guaranteed a good night’s sleep.

Photo Credit

Rates range from 100 – 350 Euros per night and a continental buffet breakfast is 12 Euros.

Hotel Design Sorbonne, 6, rue Victor Cousin, 75005 Paris. £

Metro: Line 10 : Cardinal Lemoine, Cluny Sorbonne. RER B : Luxembourg.

A Great Stay at Seven Hotel Paris

Location

The Suite

The Bathroom

Breakfast

Stylish sleeping on the Left Bank