Postcards from... Booklet 2022

that the architecture was truly innovative, creating a framework for an immense network of street-level shops as well as numerous cafes and restaurants, whose seating spills outdoors onto the wide pavements. Needless to say this only emphasises the point that Paris is a stroller’s paradise and the ultimate coffee walkway. Sadly, Hausmann’s boulevards did not curb insurrection and the city underwent a short-lived period of anarchy in 1871 following the Franco- Prussian War and the subsequent creation of the Left-wing Paris Commune. Once quelled, the city then enjoyed what is called “La Belle Époque” . Paris' architectural developments during this 45-year period cannot be understated. In addition to the Eiffel Tower, built as the gateway to the World’s Fair of 1889, this golden age also saw the construction of Beaux-Arts buildings including the Gare d'Orsay (the present-day Musée d'Orsay), the Petit Palais, the Grand Palais, and the Palais Garnier, Paris' premier opera house. The dazzling domes of Grands Magasins, or department stores, changed the skyline whilst Art Nouveau entryways transformed access to the Metro (underground). The Romano-Byzantine Sacré-Coeur breathed new life into the heart of Paris on the hilltop of Montmartre. And it is also to this age of inspiration that the modern day spirit of Paris can cast its rod. It was (and still is) a “Mecca”for avant-garde poets, writers, artists and designers. The city became the epicentre for the radical rethinking of perception as presented through the artistic endeavours of Impressionism and Cubism. The pre-eminent French novelist, Victor Hugo, could not have expressed this energy more succinctly when he declared “He who contemplates the depths of Paris is seizedwith vertigo... Nothing is more fantastic. Nothing is more tragic. Nothing is more sublime.” As we get closer to 2024 the eyes of the world will focus all the more on Paris, hosts to the next Olympic Games. Perhaps, we may be content to wait and rush with the masses, but one might suspect there are those of you who sense an opportunity, as the spectre of Covid dissipates, to explore this golden city before the masses flock back. What will you discover? For die-hard romantics it is a city that inspires affirmation. For epicureans it is the soul of gastronomy (and at least nine 3-star Michelin reasons to make a journey*). For art lovers it offers some of the world’s finest museums and galleries. For stylists it is a byword for fashion excellence. But above all it is a glittering city that never ceases to please and yet lies within short distance of our shores. When the former showrooms of ultra chic fashion brand Zadig & Voltaire was re-purposed by its co-founder, Thierry Gillier, as a hotel, it was bound to be something a bit special, even for Paris! This boutique newcomer cleverly takes period ideas and applies subtle contemporary touches to create understated luxury. The hotel has 33 rooms and a top floor apartment with terrace, as well as, Brasserie Emil, a Mediterranean restaurant with 70 seats and La Coquille d’Or cocktail bar. Be pleasantly surprised by a hotel as popular with local parisiens as its guests. The Pick of Paris Hotels Highly recommended luxury hotels with very different appeal in prime locations Rue Saint Roch Chic with an Arty Edge 10, Place de la Concorde Palace/Landmark The Hôtel de Crillon is hotel Royalty and in Paris, that’s no small feat. Following a stylish renovation in 2017, it’s wooing a whole new generation with its sassy interiors designed by the likes of Tristan Auer and Karl Lagerfeld now feels more residential than Grande Dame. However, it still oozes opulence like the sleek polished stone interiors in the lobby and gold scales on the walls of the subterranean spa. It’s greatest extravagance however, may be its location. At the heart of Paris, on the Place de La Concorde and minutes from the Tuileries gardens and Champs Élysées, you’ll struggle to find a better location. Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel Hotel Chateau Voltaire