Even with a big proliferation of luxury hotels opening in Paris in the last 18 to 24 months, a huge demand for four- and five-star properties is outstripping the supply with many of them having full occupancy rates for the month of May and June, with prices averaging €1,300 to €1,600 a night for standard rooms.
Saint Germain des Pres, one of the most desirable neighborhoods of Paris, and the recent opening of Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain is a welcome addition to an area with few five-star properties. Pavillon de Faubourg Saint-Germain is part of Chevalier Paris, an independently, family-owned chain of boutique hotels in Paris, which includes Pavillon de la Reine, Pavillon des Lettres and Hotel des Petit Moulin, which all are part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World list. Earlier this month we were invited to take a tour of the hotel and have lunch with Vanessa Jacquiot, the director of sales and marketing of the Chevalier Group.
Historically, the hotel was a former palace constructed in 1642, and in the early 1900s it became a hotel, changing ownership several times. Before the Chevalier Group took it over, it was modernized in 2015 and called The Saint Hotel. Although the hotel was completely gutted and then refurbished, the Chevalier Group desired to put their signature stamp on the hotel and decided to renovate the rooms and the public spaces.
Continuing with their winning formula for their already successful hotels, the Chevalier Group entrusted interior designer Didier Benderli, who also designed the Pavillon de la Reine and Pavillon de Lettres, to carry out the design of the hotel. So far, 14 of the 47 rooms have been refurbished and eventually each one will be individually designed. We were shown a Deluxe room, which measured approximately 300 square feet. We liked the design, and a nice touch was the rounded edges, which gave a softness to the contemporary décor. The neutral colors of putty-colored walls and white sheets were contrasted with a splash of royal blue on the club chair. The Art Deco-style white bathroom had handsome wood trimming on the basin along with black wall trimmings and a good-sized shower and separate tub. Amenities include air conditioning, a coffee maker with pods and selection of teas, bathrobe and slippers, and another nice touch, toiletries by Codage, which is one of the top luxury, spa products brands in France.
Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain has an indoor mini swimming pool, another rarity in Saint Germain hotels. Located on the lower level of the hotel, the pool is side by side with the Codage Spa, opening in June 2022, a hammam/Turkish steam bath, a meditation and yoga space, and a fitness room.
Originally the lobby floor had three separate rooms for the bar, lounge and restaurant, so a big design change for the better is the three rooms are now connected, with a flow-through design. The James Joyce Bar, named for the legendary author who spent time at the hotel in the early 20th century, offers a special collection of exclusive cocktails, some named after characters in Joyce’s novels, beers, an extensive wine and spirits menu, and small plates for nibbling.
We had lunch at Restaurant Les Parisiens, surrounded by well-dressed locals, and feasted on a menu of a refreshing, white asparagus soup, a succulent, half-lobster from Brittany, and a decadent, warm chocolate mousse with an almond hazelnut praline and buckwheat vanilla ice cream, beautifully executed by award winning chef Thibault Sombardier.
The hotel is on a quiet, residential street, close to Boulevard Saint Germain and is walking distance to all the major attractions in Saint Germain des Pres, including the legendary cafés Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore, the Saint Germain Church, designer boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Etro and Sonia Rykiel, and the chic department store Le Bon Marche.
Location: 3 Rue du Pré aux Clercs, 75007
For more information, visit pavillon-faubourg-saint-germain.com.
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