With eight kilometers of carpeted corridors and ten categories of rooms and suites, there’s no shortage of choice or space at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand by IHG.
Next door to the historic Opera Garnier, this five-star, 458-room hotel also offers a central location from which to explore the City of Light, including Galeries Lafayette and the Louvre nearby.
Passing within a few meters of the glitzy opera, the world’s largest theatre when it opened in 1875, I had a clear sense of what this iconic hotel might offer in terms of opulence, situated as it is in the architectural heart of Haussmann’s iconic 19th-century Paris.
It didn’t disappoint.
Stepping beyond the open-plan lobby and reception area with its complex flower arrangements and highly-polished marble floors, my companion and I entered the Verrière lounge, or grand Winter Garden, a classic Belle Époque world capped by a high metal dome resembling that of the Grand Palais or Musée d’Orsay. This vast drawing-room is a resting place for guests, festooned by palm and citrus trees, brass balustrades, rich-textured carpeting, mirrors framed in gold leaf, chandeliers, ornate pillars and ceiling stuccos. Clusters of lamps hanging on walls, looking more like 19th century lanterns, are a strong reminder of that era of former glory. We felt like Royalty.
Having glimpsed this vision, you can imagine how curious we were to see our accommodation.
Our’s was a suite on the 5th floor, room 5300, one of 90 such suites throughout the hotel. Named the Signature Suite Parisiene, it was an elegant, light-filled space designed like a refined apartment, with a blush-and-ivory colour palette. We enjoyed gazing at the Eiffel Tower clearly visible from the living room and balcony, and the cityscape around it. Renowned designer Pierre-Yves Rochon certainly brings a feeling of chic to life here, enhanced by a Maison Pierre Frey sofa and Counot Blandin & Collinet armchairs.
While the color scheme is muted, it also featured what I’d call a hint of Coco Chanel – urn-shaped vases, chairs and wall paintings with distinct black and white patterns, providing a vivid contrast to the overall decor.
Our sitting room, refreshingly rotund in shape, was furnished with a large sofa, wall TV, twin armchairs, oblong glass-topped table and a leather-clad writing desk table directly facing the Eiffel Tower. An interesting aspect of the décor was the attractive wallpaper by Manuel Canovas adorning the entrance hallway featuring black and white sketches of everyday Parisian life including Notre Dame, the Moulin Rouge, Les Bateaux on the Seine, the city’s iconic bridges and the Eiffel Tower, with colorful ladies in fashionable 19th century dress.
Our bedroom, adjacent to it, with only a wrought iron crossbar between the two rooms, featured a king-size bed with a white leather headboard and large twin bedside cabinets. In front was a large stand-up TV, below which was a glass cabinet with assorted vases and books. There was also a cosy alcove with twin armchairs and gleaming black table with backgammon on top. Wraparound curtains across large slanted windows on the curved wall of the room ushered in an abundance of natural light.
Our bathroom featured a claw foot bathtub, twin wash-hand basins, a full length mirror and twin wall lights and two-headed shower. The toilet was in a separate room.
Dining for us at the InterContinental Paris – Le Grand was a two-stage delight.
The first was a visit to the hotel’s immensely comfortable club lounge with its impressive range of freshly-made sandwiches, salads, canapes, pastries and ice-creams, and hot main course dishes, as well as a wide selection of wines and liquors. Hungry after a long journey and it being mid-afternoon, we spent a most relaxing hour here easing our appetite and resting our bones.
Later that evening, we headed to the unforgettable Cafe de la Paix, a restaurant where nothing is ordinary, a bit like stepping back in time, yet another exuberant homage to the golden era of belle epoque, aptly illustrated by its intricately-designed ceiling.
Determined to absorb every nuance of it’s seductive charm, we lingered over pre-dinner cocktails, some of which interestingly were named after celebrities who had once frequented the hotel such as Salvador Dali, Victor Hugo and Tchaikovsky. The latter drink was a blend of jasmine vodka, ginger beer ginger and lime.
Dining in Paris without enjoying the classic French dish of snails would be a sacrilege so my companion opted for that as her starter. Twelve snails farmed in Bourgundy, plump and tender, scooped out of their shells, arrived promptly before her which she thoroughly enjoyed with home-made brioche.
I chose another classic French dish, onion soup, tempted after our server, Antoine, said the recipe was from the 1800s. Described briefly, it provided mouthfuls of umami taste. Our mains were from both land and the sea, steak tartare and dover sole, chosen in part because they are both created table-side, making a dining experience all the more memorable.
My fish was so generously large, shame on me, I found it impossible to finish, much to the concern of attentive restaurant manager, Paul Lescureux. I pointed to my belly. He understood and nodded with a smile.
We chose a bottle of Whispering Angel rosé wine from Provence to accompany our food. Other options on a wide-ranging included starters such as smoked Norwegian salmon, caviar baeri, duck pate and burrata and mains such as tartar of tuna, sea bass, Canadian lobster, rib eye, roasted duck, veal chops, and for vegetarians, eggplant comfit.
Breakfast in the cafe is equally desirable. How could it not be when the fare encompasses such a multinational menu as sushi, dim sum, seaweed and rice soup, a hearty English blend of sausage, bacon and egg, Lebanese labneh and salads, strong French cheeses, gluten-free granola, a plethora of fresh fruits and an array of French pastries, not to mention bespoke omelette cooked to order.
For a memorable stay in the City of Light in a glamorous hotel that first opened its doors almost 200 years ago, in 1862, the InterContinental Paris – Le Grand is certainly a worthy choice.
