If you want to know where all the young travelers are staying and posh locals are hanging out in Paris, then head to Hotel des Grands Boulevards.
This 50-room boutique hotel is located in the lively 2nd arrondissement adjacent to bars, restaurants, and clubs. Hotel des Grands Boulevards’ entrance is tucked away next to a local bar. The exterior is lined with windows each with ornate railings and flowers that adorn the window facades. A classic Parisian backdrop. An iron sign on top of the entrance reads Grands Boulevards, followed by iron ivy arches that lead you to the entrance.
We check into the hotel and get a sense for its chic vibes instantly. The hotel is bright and has an open-aired feel. A huge conch shell at the entrance denotes The Shell bar on the first floor. We walk past the glass enclosed walls and roof of the Grand Boulevards restaurant. A bar is the center piece of the restaurant wrapped in plants, ivy, and flowers. It almost feels like we’re in a greenhouse. Our bellhop takes us to the second floor to our suite for the next two nights.
We got off on the second floor and headed to room 107. Each floor has it’s own distinct color. A mix of terracotta red, sage greens, mute reds, salmon pink, egg-white, and slate blue. The curved details in the door were a pleasant surprise that we’d see throughout the hotel during our stay. A bee-shaped ball-in-hand door knocker hung from the door. We stepped into the room and deposited our luggage near the french door balcony. The intimate room and the fact that it was a somewhat small boutique-like hotel pleased us. After all, intimacy is part of the Parisian charm. Our room had access to a terrace that faced the inner courtyard. The terrace stood halfway between the glass restaurant below and the rooftop bar four floors above us. We could hear the chatter from the rooftop bar. The french doors at the end of the room brought the balcony garden indoors with it’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun from the outside spilled into the room. I instantly knew we’d be having breakfast out on our terrace or terrasse the next morning.
The essence of any Parisian hotel is its individuality, and not two are alike. The designer of the hotel, Dorothée Meilichzon’s, use of pastel colors, geometric motif carpets, curved mirrors and designer furniture sourced from craft stores around the world give it a unique blend of cosmopolitan and French country feel. Pink drapes canopy the bed and are a backdrop to a mid-night blue velvet round headboard. There’s a small nook on either side of the bed. On my side was a USB plug, on Pat’s side was a vintage-style revo radio with bluetooth connectivity. Such a great touch!
For a sneak peak inside the room…see my video below!
When we opened the mirror closets on each side of the bed. Pat’s eyes dropped to the cube refrigerator at the bottom of his. Peering inside and finding its stocked with wine, snacks, and liquor, we were pleased with the contents and closed the door. On my side was a complimentary converter, ideal for foreign travelers like us and a safe. There was a third mirror in the room opposite the bed. You guessed it, it was a mirror television. On the bed lay a note that offered us 2 complimentary cocktails at there intimate bar The Shell. It was a special offer during the month of May. I threw myself into the satin bed sheets and let out a huge sigh. I could see myself staying here for a few days.
A quick peak into the bathroom revealed white marble floors and a rain shower adjacent to more curved mirrors and pink pastel walls. It had the usual simple yet exposed fixtures: shower, sink, and toilet. A few rooms had tubs, ours did not. Next to the shower were two bathrobes and slippers that read Grands Boulevards. The hotel gives guests a bag with Necessaire de Toilette or bathroom necessities. Patrick fell in love with their Codage products and took some home. Now he’s looking to purchase them from New York! Does anyone know where we can find them? After a warm shower using their Codage, Ren, Evolve, and Sachajuan products I slipped into my bathroom slippers and bathrobe and hopped on the bed to take a look at the Cocktail Club book that was left in room.
I sat on the driftwood stool at the vanity and made a call on the vintage landline phone to the reception downstairs. I wanted to make a reservation for dinner and breakfast in room the morning after. While waiting for someone to answer, I glanced at the reddish brown marble and accessories on the vanity. An in-room Nespresso machine was available as well as an old school Grand Boulevards hotel pencil and notepad. A small book holder on the side had pamphlets about the city as well as a cocktail book and information about the hotel. After scheduling our reservations, we made our way down the stairs to The Shell bar for cocktails, the Grands Boulevards restaurant for dinner, and the hotel’s rooftop bar The Shed for post-dinner drinks.
Only in Paris can you sleep in a romantic hideaway in the heart of the 2nd arrondissement and be served breakfast in bed or out on your terrace or balcony while looking out and seeing all of Paris below. Following a night of what can only be described as flavorful cuisine, chic vibes, versatile milieus, and high-quality service, we woke up to breakfast in-room.
Hotel des Grands Boulevards makes elegance looks effortless. They transformed the inner courtyard terrace outside our bedroom into a chic garden retreat in the hustle and bustle of le coeur de Paris. Mimicking their dinner, which was one of the best we had in Paris, breakfast proved to be equally as delicious. In-room breakfast service can be quite costly in Paris, but not at Hotel des Grands Boulevards. A full English breakfast with a basket of pastries, our choice of eggs, fruit, yogurt, coffee, and juice came at just 24 euros each. And that’s considered very affordable in Paris my friends!
Following our hearty breakfast, we packed our bags after two days at Hotel des Grands Boulevards and made our way to our next stop. No matter the weather or how long the day, I loved every minute of my stay at Hotel des Grand Boulevards. It was a young persons haven with just the right amount of activity yet secludedness to satisfy both our needs. I can’t wait to pack my bags, return to Paris, book a room at Hotel des Grands Boulevards, and do it all over again. Rooms start at $250.
Get my look!
Rose Canvas Espadrilles Mules
$26
Galeries Lafayette Béret plat Page
$27
Zara White Jeans
$50
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Hotel des Grands Boulevards, Experimental Group. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
Follow SVADORE on:
1 comment