New Hotel in Paris: Kimpton Saint Honoré

The Kimpton brand of hotels has extended its international footprint with the opening of the Kimpton St. Honoré Paris, its first property in the "City of Light." Launched in November 2021, the hotel is located just a block from the rue Saint Honoré and close to the Paris Opera Garnier and the big department stores Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

The handsome Art Noveau building was constructed in 1916 for La Samaritaine de Luxe, a luxury branch of La Samaritaine department store, to attract the wealthy clientele of the nearby Opera Garnier, Café de la Paix and Le Grand Hotel. The façade still retains the Art Nouveau architectural details of iron balconies painted turquoise, windows embossed with a gold and turquoise geometric pattern, and decorative mosaic flowers.

Good to know: Interior architect Charles Zana has designed a contemporary hotel while preserving many of the original Art Deco elements, including the marble and wrought iron staircase on the main floor and the original wood and cast-iron elevator cage.

The 149 rooms and 26 suites are done in an updated Art Deco style, using clean lines, soft curves and a color palette of pale pink and taupe with a splash of red, with furniture custom designed by Charles Zana. Bathrooms have Carrara marble, and the shower and toilet doors use blue and green stained glass. Room sizes start at 220 square feet for the Essential room category to the 1,200-square-foot Suite Honoré on the top floor, complete with a living room suite, dining room, full kitchen and skyline views of Paris. Amenities for all rooms include an espresso machine and electric tea kettle, bottled still and sparkling water, Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speakers, a minibar with gourmet and healthy treats, and yoga mats. Other hotel services include a cocktail hour at the bar with complimentary drinks, same-day dry cleaning and laundry service, express check-in and checkout, 24-hour concierge, and complimentary standard and electric bike rentals. 

Kimpton St. Honoré Paris rooftop views
Views from the Sequoia Rooftop Bar (Photo by Richard Nahem)

The lower level of the hotel has the Codage Spa, which will formulate bespoke skin care products based on your skin diagnosis, sauna, steam room, heated swimming pool, and a small workout room.

One of the highlights of Kimpton Saint Honoré is the posh Sequoia Rooftop Bar with 360-degree views of the Paris Opera Garnier, Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower (it’s open starting April 1).

The main restaurant of the hotel is Montecito; located on the ground floor, it also has a separate street entrance. French chef Nicolas Pastot and American chef Carrie Solomon were inspired by the healthy cuisine of southern California, hence the name. The dining room is smartly designed with tall ceilings and glass panels, which give off a soothing natural light, club chairs plush banquettes in turquoise velvet, geometrically patterned rugs and widely spaced tables. Specialty dishes include a scallop ceviche with clementine and radishes; San Francisco Cioppino, with lobster, seasonal shellfish, chorizo and chestnut pickles; and, for dessert, passion fruit cheesecake. A three-course lunch menu of starter, main, and coffee is offered at €39 (approximately $44). 

For more information, visit www.kimptonsthonoreparis.com.

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