Postcards from... Booklet 2022

Re-opened in July 2018 following an extensive 4 year restoration and refurbishment, Hotel Lutetia is an iconic landmark situated in the vibrant Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris and the only luxury grand hotel on the city's Left Bank. Originally opened in 1910, the building's design was a daring move from art nouveau to the emerging style of art deco. The Lutetia delivers an authentic Parisian experience and now features an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars and lounges throughout the historical ground floor including the return of the Lutetia Brasserie under the supervision of three Michelin starred chef Gerald Passedat. A Marriott-owned property occupies a period bank building just steps from the Palais Garnier and the city’s big department stores. The stunning round glass-domed lobby of the 94-room hotel recalls a lush Proustian bordello with vermilion walls, an original mosaic floor, a long gold-leather sofa, and low lighting in the adjacent bar, restaurant, and reception area, and it’s ringed by an elegant mezzanine gallery. Contemporary art displayed in the public spaces create an elegant atmosphere, and the fact that you don’t need to rob a bank to stay here means that this newcomer has been attracting lots of travellers who formerly swore by the Left Bank. Situated on the left bank, J.K. Place Paris is a luxury boutique hotel offering the discreet luxury of a private house with immaculate service in a stylish setting. The hotel's 29 rooms and suites are designed by J.K. Place's architect Michele Bonan. For fine dining, Casa Tua, with outposts in Miami and Aspen serves Northern Italian cuisine and fine wines amidst exquisite art. The Spa by Sisley feature Phyto-Aromatic treatments transporting guests into a sensorial world. The spa has an indoor swimming pool, sauna, and steam room. In a building that once served as a pleasure house during the Belle Époque, one of the most lavish and licentious pages in the history of Paris has been brought to life. Master stylist, Jacques Garcia has applied his talent to recreating the mystery, elegance, exoticism, sensuality, and ostentatious luxury of this landmark to create one of the capital’s most romantic boutique hotels. A temple to hedonism, the Maison Souquet is home to 20 rooms, including six suites with unique interiors in the heart of Montmartre district. J.K. Place Paris Maison Souquet Hôtel Lutetia Hotel Banke Opera , Autograph Collection Tuckedawaydownanarrowstreetbeside theLeftBank,HôtelRelaisChristine is a real hidden treasure. Behind a set ofwrought iron gates is a pretty courtyard,dottedwithgreenery,andamajestichoney-stone townhouse.Once amedievalabbey, today it’saboutiquehotel thatoozesperiodcharm. Inside, oldfireplaces, vaulted ceilings andwoodpanellinghungwithportraitshint at the hotel’s past.With individually designed rooms that blend vintage glamourwith splashesof contemporary style. 3,RueChristine,StGermaindesPres LeftBankBoutiqueHideaway Relais Christine MonsieurGeorgeHotel 17,RueWashington GlamorousNewKidon theBlock Mirrors, velvet and exotic flourishes signal the latest interior design canvas from themistressofboutiquechic,AnouskaHempel.MonsieurGeorge isacompactbut sexy conversionof aParisian townhouse completewith aminiaturemewshouse in the rear courtyardhousingoneof thehotel’s feature suites.Hempelwas tasked withcreatinga timelessyetmodernhotel,barand restaurant,offeringa residential atmospherewithinParis’busy8tharrondisement.Spreadacrosssixfloors, thehotel comprises46guestrooms, including three suites,eachboasting itsown charm. Green Spaces Constantlyseeking to improve itself fromaneco-friendlyperspective there arenowgrandplans forParis to becomeEurope’sgreenestcityby2030. Herearesomeeco-friendly thingsyou canexperience rightnow. ElectricSeine DinnerCruise Enjoy themagicofa cleaner, more sustainable rivercruise aboard theDucasse surSeine.The brainchildofgloballyacclaimed French chefAlainDucasse, the cruise isentirelyelectricand combinesa luxurygourmet experiencewitha commitment to low-emission transport. FloatingaboveParis More than justanawesomeviewoverParis,BallonGenerali isbasicallyafloating laboratory withan important role inmeasuring the city'sairqualityeachday.Floatup to150metres above the city in theworld’s largestheliumballoonwhilst readingsare takenmeasuringair quality.Flight timeapproximatel10minutes. Wanderalong the CouleeVert TheRené-DumontCouléeVerte (previously thePromenadePlantée) isa4.7km-long greenwalking trail that carriesyoualong the abandonedVincennes railway line.The projectwas sucha success that it servedas the inspiration for the famousNewYorkHigh Linepark too,whichopened in2009. that thearchitecturewas truly innovative,creatinga framework foran immensenetworkof street-level shopsaswellasnumerouscafesand restaurants, whose seating spillsoutdoorsonto thewide pavements.Needless to say thisonlyemphasises the point thatParis isa stroller’sparadiseand theultimate coffeewalkway. Sadly,Haussman’sboulevardsdidnotcurb insurrectionand thecityunderwent a short-lived periodofanarchy in1871 following theFranco- PrussianWarand the subsequentcreationof the Left-wingParisCommune.Oncequelled, thecity thenenjoyedwhat iscalled“LaBelleÉpoque” .Paris' architecturaldevelopmentsduring this45-year periodcannotbeunderstated. Inaddition to the EiffelTower,builtas thegateway to theWorld’sFairof 1889, thisgoldenagealso saw theconstructionof Beaux-Artsbuildings including theGared'Orsay (the present-dayMuséed'Orsay), thePetitPalais, the GrandPalais,and thePalaisGarnier,Paris'premier operahouse.ThedazzlingdomesofGrands Magasins,ordepartment stores, changed the skyline whilstArtNouveauentryways transformedaccess to theMetro (underground).TheRomano-Byzantine Sacré-Coeurbreathednew life into theheartofParis on thehilltopofMontmartre. And it isalso to thisageof inspiration that themodern dayspiritofPariscancast its rod. Itwas (andstill is)a “Mecca”foravant-gardepoets,writers,artistsand designers.Thecitybecame theepicentre for the radical rethinkingofperceptionaspresented through the artisticendeavoursof ImpressionismandCubism.The pre-eminentFrenchnovelist,VictorHugo,couldnot haveexpressed thisenergymoresuccinctlywhenhe declared “HewhocontemplatesthedepthsofParis is seizedwithvertigo...Nothing ismore fantastic.Nothing is moretragic.Nothing ismoresublime.” Aswegetcloser to2024 theeyesof theworldwill focusall themoreonParis,hosts to thenextOlympic Games.Perhaps,wemaybecontent towaitand rush with themasses,butonemightsuspect thereare those ofyouwhosenseanopportunity,as thespectreof Coviddissipates, toexplore thisgoldencitybefore the massesflockback.Whatwillyoudiscover?Fordie-hard romantics it isacity that inspiresaffirmation.For epicureans it is thesoulofgastronomy (andat least nine3-starMichelin reasons tomakea journey*). For art lovers itofferssomeof theworld’sfinestmuseums andgalleries.Forstylists it isabyword for fashion excellence.Butaboveall it isaglitteringcity thatnever ceases topleaseandyet lieswithinshortdistanceof ourshores. Set back from the Champs-Elysées, on an avenue linedwith century-old trees, La Réserve Paris offers an intimate setting in a classic urbanmansion comprising 26 suites and 14 rooms.Haussmann-style architecture proved the perfect setting for interiordesigner JacquesGarcia, chosenbyMichelReybier forhis special affinities with thatparticular era.All around are vast areasbathed in light,barelymutedby the rich fabrics of the hangings. Scattered here and there are beautifulmarble fireplaces,andeverywhere the joyofvast indoorspaces,evokinganalmost forgotten spiritofgenerosity. ThePickofParisHotels Highly recommended luxuryhotelswithverydifferentappeal inprime locations 42AvenueGabriel LifestyleChic 10,Placede laConcorde Palace/Landmark TheHôtel de Crillon is hotel Royalty and in Paris, that’s no small feat. Following a stylish renovation in2017, it’swooingawholenewgenerationwith itssassy interiors designed by the likes ofTristanAuer and Karl Lagerfeld now feelsmore residential thanGrandeDame.However, it still oozes opulence like the sleek polished stone interiors in the lobbyandgoldscaleson thewallsof thesubterraneanspa. It’sgreatest extravagancehowever,maybe its location.At theheart ofParis, on thePlacede La Concordeandminutes from theTuileriesgardensandChampsÉlysées,you’llstruggle tofindabetter location. Hotel de Crillon,ARosewoodHotel LaReserveParisHotel & Spa T heflagshipcityofFrancehasamagneticappeal thathas lured countlessvisitors to thebanksof theSeine.Classicalelegance sitscomfortablywithmodern innovation inawell-planned cityscapecontaining someof themost iconic structures includingmedievalchurches,Bourbonpalaces,BeauxArt department storesand thecity’sdefining industrial-agebeacon - theEiffel Tower. It isnowonder thatParis is renownedasaculturalmeltingpotandhas been regardedconsistently,especially since themid-19thcentury,asacentre for thevisualarts,gastronomyandhigh fashion. Elegant,wideboulevardsproliferate the low-risecentreof thecity, linedwithchracteristic stone- cladappartmentblocksvarying inheightbetween just5and7floors.This is the legacyof BaronHaussman,who transformedParisbetween1853until1870 fromamazeofnarrow, windinganddisease-riddenalleys into theprototype,modernmetropolis thatwould best servea rapidlygrowingpopulation.Whilst thenew,broad streetsmayhave beendesigned todeteraParisianhabit for riotingandblockades, it isevident