Set in the 6th arrondissement, Hôtel Dame des Arts is an unbeatable address for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the city’s freewheeling, culture-loving, creative Latin Quarter, with Notre-Dame, the Jardin du Luxembourg, and the banks of the Seine less than ten minutes’ walk away.
Emerging beneath the curvaceous Art Deco arch spanning the exit of Saint-Michel Métro station, we stood blinking in dappled spring sunshine on the leafy Place Saint-André-des-Arts. Impossibly stylish people were enjoying their Sunday morning at the tables of Café G and Bistro Saint-André, chairs neatly arranged side by side – not facing each other – for optimal people-watching. Three hours after leaving London by Eurostar, we were in the gloriously chic heart of Paris. And it was time for brunch.
We were to take ours at Hôtel Dame des Arts, whose entrance is screened by floor-to-ceiling opaque glass windows and sliding doors that feature a geometric metal lattice design reminiscent of Japanese shoji screens. Stepping inside, we found ourselves ensconced in a tranquil, darkened space lightly scented with the hotel’s layered fragrance of cedar, amber and tobacco.
Subtle, clever and architectural, the entrance sets the tone for the hotel, which opened in 2023 and was conceived by designer Raphael Navot. Inspired by St Germain’s artsy past and the 1950s building’s original purpose as a theatre school, Navot’s interiors aptly channel the mid-century Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) art film movement, with a meticulous attention to detail that creates a soothing, coherent feel across the property. With the exception of two chairs, each piece of furniture at Hôtel Dame des Arts has been crafted exclusively for the hotel. The wood floors are also bespoke – a sinuous mosaic of flame-blackened pieces of oak topped with protective resin that flows from the lobby through the restaurant and out into a small, verdant courtyard.
There’s a delightful interplay between textures and shapes, with Navot’s signature ‘demi-cylindre’ (half-cylinder) fluted design motifs taking the forms of walls of slim cedar columns and tactile woollen banquettes. The dark floors and muted colour palette are offset by vibrant floral displays and artworks – over 700 pieces of original art decorate the hotel’s public areas and bedrooms. As we discovered once in our bedroom, Navot’s trademark fluted shapes extend to strokable headboards and matt bathroom wall tiles. Even the full-size Diptyque bathroom toiletries follow suit.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Sophisticate | CDG | GMT +1 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Inspired, peut-être, by the heavenly toiletries provided in Hôtel Dames des Arts’ chic bathrooms, make a pilgrimage to the original Diptyque store at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain, a 15-minute stroll away. First opened by three friends in 1964, the shop is an intoxicating blend of artist’s studio, home decoration boutique and exotic antique emporium, inspiring Christian Millau and Henri Gault, founders of the seminal Gault&Millau hospitality guides to wax, ‘Introducing a newcomer to the fairytale kingdom for grown-ups: Diptyque’. |
In keeping with the rest of the hotel, its 109 bedrooms are discreet, sensuous and bijou. They are also generously bestowed with thoughtful touches – a dish of jewel-coloured macarons and a beautifully illustrated box of cookies awaited us, as well as an atomiser of the house fragrance to take home. The hotel’s original 1950s windows overlook the grand neighboring houses and apartments in a way that feels suitably Parisian, particularly when watching a madame in rollers lean on her iron balcony to puff on a cigarette. Bag one of the ten Premium Signature Terrasse Eiffel rooms on the upper floors for far-reaching views of the Eiffel Tower and a terrace with views of Notre-Dame.
Back to the garden, however, for brunch at Pimpan (pronounced pam-pan, it’s a riff on the French ‘pimpant’, meaning stylish, dapper and playful). The leafy courtyard is charmingly shaded and secluded – fellow guests included a pair of suitably ‘pimpant’ gentlemen with a coiffed labrador, a canoodling couple, and a gaggle of ladies sipping champagne. You can dine here virtually all day with breakfast (a winning buffet of pastries, cold cuts and divine cheeses complemented by cooked-to-order options) ceding into weekend brunch or lunch on weekdays, and dinner served until 10.15pm daily. The full brunch menu includes a superlative Croque Monsieur, Oeufs Bénédict, pancakes doused in maple syrup, and a wildly indulgent freshly baked pistachio cookie topped with pistachio ice cream. It’s worth the Eurostar fare alone.
Chef Clément Courtemanche ups the ante for supper, adding un soupçon of global influence to his ever-changing menus. Springtime delights included succulent confit salmon with fennel and saffron beurre blanc, Black Angus steak grilled on a Japanese barbeque served with chimichurri sauce, and slow-cooked lamb with green harissa and dried fruits. It’s a joyful culinary journey around the world from a quintessentially Parisian base.
The only thing that threatens to steal Chef Clément’s limelight is the hotel’s rooftop bar, Il Dolce Farniente. The Italian phrase for ‘the art of doing nothing’, the bar’s 360-degree views place all of Paris in your gaze. The Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Pantheon, Montmartre – they all posed for us in the setting sun while we sipped rosé and nibbled exquisite aperitivos.
Finally, a shout-out for the gym, which is worth a visit purely to admire its sensually arching timber ceiling and tactile NOHRD cardio machines (and to plunder the array of healthy drinks and snacks). And there’s a sauna, which one books in advance for up to four guests to ensure total privacy.
Photography by Ludovic Balay and courtesy of Hôtel Dame des Arts
