Hotel Lutetia

When Hotel Lutetia opened its doors in November 1910, it attracted the beau monde of Paris, who came to fete the first Left Bank luxury hotel. To this day, Lutetia remains the one truly grand luxury hotel in this part of town -- and an icon of Art Nouveau architecture in Paris (the landmarked facade with stone balconies undulates with a wave design inspired by the movement's love for nature). Built by the family who owned the nearby Le Bon Marche, the hotel was conceived as lodging for the department store's clients and vendors. The building's use of concrete, glass, and riveted steel were considered revolutionary for the day. Like the Ritz, Hotel Lutetia's rooms were ahead of their time: all had hot water, telephones, air-conditioning, and window shutters that could be rolled up or down from the inside of the room.
Naturally, the hotel's grandeur drew in VIPs from the surrounding literary and artistic Saint-Germain. Jean Cocteau, Albert Camus, Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Josephine Baker (the main bar's namesake) were all regulars. Alfred Cohen penned part of his masterpieces "Belle du Seigneur" while at the hotel, as did James Joyce with "Ulysses" (with Ernest Hemingway periodically pitching in as editor). Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse established apartments within the hotel. During World War II, Lutetia was requisitioned by the Germans (as were the Peninsula, Le Meurice, the Ritz, and many other hotels around the city), and after the city's liberation, the hotel was used as a repatriation center. Lutetia soon returned to its luxury-hotel life, becoming a meeting spot for artists and musicians in the 1950s and on. Notable devotees over the years included Juliette Greco, Serge Gainsbourg, Peggy Guggenheim, Yves Saint-Laurent, and David Lynch.
The landmark luxury hotel underwent several upgrades and changes over the decades (French fashion legend Sonia Rykiel dreamed up renovation plans in the 80s), but nothing like its recent rehab, which closed the hotel completely from 2014 to 2018. Renowned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte oversaw the immense project. The main objective was to bring the hotel up to code -- and Palace standards -- while preserving its artistic and architectural heritage. During the restoration process, many beautiful original frescoes were found hidden under several decades' coats of paint. Friezes and bas-reliefs were uncovered in the lobby and a 1910 fresco by French Art Nouveau muralist Adrien Karbowsky was discovered behind a dropped ceiling in the Salon Borghese (now Le Bar Josephine). The preservation took about 17,000 hours of repair work by highly trained specialists.
Another big effort was to brighten the originally dark hotel. A windowless salon was transformed into an interior courtyard that lets in natural light to the library and Salon Saint Germain -- where an original glass skylight gleams with a colorful fresco depicting a Parisian ball by contemporary French artist Fabrice Hyber. Before, Lutetia was the only grand hotel in Paris without a central patio. The renovation also decreased the room count from 233 to 184, allowing more space for the hotel's sumptuous suites. In the rooms and suites and everywhere throughout the hotel, everything from the furniture and sink faucets is custom made and exclusive to the hotel. Carved limestone, perforated bronze, metal, glass, and rare Calacutta marble give an overall somber, stately feel -- hallway walls are made of eucalyptus wood varnished like a luxury Italian yacht.
Guests are a mix of luxury business and leisure travelers from France, Europe, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and around the world. Lutetia (named in tribute of the Roman name for Paris) is part of Set Hotels, the European hotel group who also owns Hotel Cafe Royal in London and the Conservatorium in Amsterdam.

Hotel Lutetia is located on the Left Bank in the heart of the fashion, art, and literature district. This area is safe and fun to explore by foot, and the Luxembourg Gardens, and the Orsay and Louvre museums are within easy reach. For shoppers, the Bon Marche department store is across the street, and the neighborhood is full of antique shops and boutiques. Though the hotel has two restaurants, the area has a number of charming restaurants and cafes. To get to other areas in Paris via metro, the Sevres-Babylone station is across the street, and Saint-Sulpice station is a five-minute walk away.

Hotel Lutetia 184 total rooms, 47 of which are suites. There are four room types (Superior, Grand Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe with Balcony), three suite types (Junior Suite, Junior Suite with Balcony, and One Bedroom Suite), and six one-of-a-kind Signature suites. Rooms start at 300 square feet (Suites at 540) and have herringbone oak floors and eucalyptus walls tinted either a sandy cream shade or a rich navy blue, as well as bronze and varnished wood accents. All have 1930s-style furnishings (totally custom designed and exclusive to the hotel), and details like Hermes jacquard pillows and bespoke Murano glass lights. Luxurious amenities are found in every room type, including king beds, espresso machines, minibars, Bang & Olufsen flat-screen LED TVs, and marble desks. Each room is equipped with a Crestron touch pads for dimming the lights and controlling the temperate, curtains, and TV. Safes are provided.
Bathrooms in every room type are solid Calacutta or Statuario marble, with soaking tubs hewn from a single, two-ton block of marble (the baths themselves weigh one ton). The vast majority of the hotel's bathrooms have a window, and all have TV-embedded mirrors, Hermes toiletries, Dyson hairdryers, and plush bathrobes and slippers. A design of overlapping circles on the bathroom floors are typical Art Nouveau motifs.
There are six special Signature Suites, including the golden-oak-paneled Eiffel Writer's Suite with direct views of the tower and the butler-serviced penthouse with its 800-square-foot rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Paris, accessed by marble stairs. The two-level Eiffel Suite sits at the peak of the hotel, and features an cavern-like limestone terrace carved with grapes and other decorative elements, facing the iconic tower. This is the suite where Charles de Gaulle spent his wedding night.
Wi-Fi is free in the rooms. Connecting suites are available. Rooms are fully soundproofed and insulated from the street noise of the busy Boulevard Raspail.

Hotel Lutetia has several luxurious venues for food and drink. The Salon Saint Germain and adjacent patio are open daily from lunch through dinner. Salon Saint Germain's indoor space is set under a historic skylit with a contemporary fresco by Fabrice Hyber depicting fantastical Parisian ball. The Lutetia Brasserie, which opened in January 2019, is a bi-level space reminiscent of a 1930s luxury cruise liner. Its Mediterranean-inspired cuisine is overseen by a Michelin-starred chef Gerald Passedat. The brasserie is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast (included in some rates) is also served daily in L'Orangerie, a contemporary dining room with natural light and a patio. L'Orangerie breakfast/brunch is available a la carte or buffet-style, with viennoiseries, fruit tarts, breads, cereals, handmade yogurts, smoked salmon, and a variety of cheeses. Room service is available 24 hours a day.
The Bar Aristide, another January 2019 opening, is an intimate mezzanine bar with two smoking lounges. The hotel's main bar, Le Bar Josephine -- named for Josephine Baker, who was a Lutetia regular -- is a must-visit for live jazz (Thursday through Sunday evenings) and cocktails by head barman Nicola Battafarano. During the 2014 through 2018 renovation, the bar's incredible fresco by French Art Nouveau muralist Adrien Karbowsky was discovered under many layers of paint and was painstakingly restored. Bar Josephine is open daily, with light lunch, sharing, and snack menus.
The all-marble, 7,500-square-foot Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre features a 56-foot mosaic pool made from Calacatta Oro marble -- a rare white marble with delicate gold veining. Additionally, there are six treatment rooms, a whirlpool, a steam room, and a sauna. The Akasha treatment menu offers facials, massages, and holistic treatments using beauty products by Carita, CellCosmet, and Aromatherapy Associates. Hairstylist Christophe Nicolas Biot provides hair services, including organic color. The 1,075-square-foot fitness center offers modern equipment, personal training, and group classes (Pilates, yoga, boxing, HIIT, TRX).
The hotel has five grand salons, including L'Orangerie, and one ballroom for meetings and special events. The 3,340-square-foot Cristal ballroom can hold up to 320 guests for cocktail receptions. The hotel's library, just past reception, features Gio Ponti armchairs, a fireplace, and more than 1,600 books. An "Instagram concierge" will take guests to especially photogenic spots in the hotel and throughout the neighborhood, and fashion-, food-, and history-focused two-hour tours of Saint Germain-des-Pres are available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.