Wanderlust: Prince de Galles Hotel, Paris

While on the subject of Paris {when are we not?}, the Prince de Galles hotel, in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, recently underwent a $100 million renovation, courtesy of Pierre-Yves Rochon. 

Built in 1928 by architect Arfvidson for Charles de Galles, the Prince of Wales and son of King George V of England, during his annual visits, the 159-room hotel on Paris’s Avenue George V was built on chaillot quarries and inspired by the Decorative Art exhibition in 1925.  It reopened last summer after a two-and-a-half-year, $100 million redo overseen by designer, Pierre-Yves Rochon.  Rochon is known for his work at the Peninsula Shanghai hotel, London’s Savoy, and Four Seasons, all of which have won rave reviews, as well as restaurants for chefs such as Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse and Gérard Boyer.  The firm has offices in Paris, Chicago, and Shanghai.  

The lobby’s rich Macassar ebony furnishings are complemented by gold light fixtures and details.

The hotel has so many beautiful details... above are some of my favourites.

Extravagant details fill lavish Paris hotels, but it's rare that a property embraces the city’s Art Deco decades, however, Rochon decided to return the building to its roots.

The courtyard features towering palms and restored mosaics that highlight the hotel’s original detailing.

Rochon specifically targeted the 1930s, which he describes as a period “that is not yet very modern, but between the classical and the contemporary. It is really the difference between the past and the future.”

The centerpiece of the hotel’s Bar, Les Heures, is a stunning chandelier with a modern twist in the Deco style.

Giving a nod to the hotel’s original design, Rochon designed a tightly tailored 'tour de force' of polished Macassar ebony, black Saint Laurent marble, wrought-iron filigree, and gilded accents. For the fabrics, he and his team perused vintage textile books and samples while he designed much of the furniture and lighting himself while taking inspiration from icons of that era, such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann.

The corridors feature Deco-era photography, as well as for the carpet and wall coverings.

“When you close a hotel and then open it back up, you need to have something different,” concludes Rochon. “It would have been possible to design a contemporary hotel, but I was thinking it’s not necessary because you have so many hotels that look the same—just the name changes. But here, the hotel has character.”

A guest room’s mix of patterns is paired with glossy black finishes, pops of colour, and Macassar ebony.

I've always wanted to stay here, or at least stop by for a cocktail.  Did you know, while in Germany for his military training in the 1960’s, Elvis Presley caused quite a stir when he walked through the lobby of the hotel. 

xoxo,

B

If you would like help in creating a home you love, please contact me at Brenda@atelierdhautedesign.com

www.atelierdhautedesign.com

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