Postcards from... Booklet 2022

Mirrors, velvet and exotic flourishes signal the latest interior design canvas from the mistress of boutique chic, Anouska Hempel. Monsieur George is a compact but sexy conversion of a Parisian townhouse complete with a miniature mews house in the rear courtyard housing one of the hotel’s feature suites. Hempel was tasked with creating a timeless yet modern hotel, bar and restaurant, offering a residential atmosphere within Paris’busy 8th arrondisement. Spread across six floors, the hotel comprises 46 guestrooms, including three suites, each boasting its own charm. Located on the Avenue George V in the ‘Golden Triangle’, home to the French capital’s luxury and fashion excellence between the Seine and the Champs-Élysées, the Bulgari Hotel Paris is a new kind of hotel experience where Italian hospitality meets the jewelry heritage of Bulgari and the glorious history of the City of Light.. The interiors of the hotel, entirely designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel Italian architectural studio, feature 76 rooms and suites, including the Bulgari Penthouse, an exceptional private apartment of nearly 400 square meters with its own 569 m 2 panoramic roof garden with views of all the capital’s iconic monuments. Tucked away down a narrow street beside the Left Bank, Hôtel Relais Christine is a real hidden treasure. Behind a set of wrought iron gates is a pretty courtyard, dotted with greenery, and a majestic honey-stone townhouse. Once a medieval abbey, today it’s a boutique hotel that oozes period charm. Inside, old fireplaces, vaulted ceilings and wood panelling hung with portraits hint at the hotel’s past. With individually designed rooms that blend vintage glamour with splashes of contemporary style. 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. 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. Relais Christine Hotel Chateau Voltaire Monsieur George Hotel Bvlgari Hôtel Paris 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