Located just around the corner from Paris’ famed Café de Flore in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés lies the chic Hotel Bel Ami. The hotel is perfectly situated among Paris’ hippest galleries, cafés and boutiques, making it the perfect choice for a timid traveler or a first-time visitor to Paris who may feel a bit overwhelmed or intimidated by the city’s expansive landscape.
The Left Bank has attracted Parisian intellectuals since the 18th century, and the hotel sits in the center of interesting bookshops, innovative galleries and cutting-edge boutique stores such as The Kooples, Jérome Dreyfuss and Sonia Rykiel. Design Consultant Grace Leo-Andrieu collaborated with interior decorators Nathalie Battesti and Véronique Terreaux to create a newly conceived “low-key luxe” space utilizing luxurious fabrics and vibrant colors of apple green, blue and fuchsia.
Inspired by Hotel Bel Ami's literary background as a 19th century printworks in which the first copy of Guy de Maupassant's novel Bel Ami was printed, the building itself was redesigned by architect and designer Philippe Maidenberg. The 112 rooms and suites can be booked according to one's color preference in shades of vibrant orange, warm blue or soothing chocolate brown.
The curated communal spaces include a chic fashion and architecture library and a bespoke selection of clothing and accessories that are showcased throughout the lobby and are available for purchase. Also, the chic bar serves up cocktails such as the Rive Gauche made from Beluga Noble Vodka, black currant Lejay, fresh grapefruit juice and tonic water or the potent and aptly-named Saint Germain made with Hendrick's Gin and St. Germain Liqueur.
Hotel Bel Ami attracts a very fashionable and chic crowd with many trendy and affluent neighbors frequenting the restaurant for brunch and breakfast en route to work. So if you visit, be sure to dress the part and forgo the sweatpants and t-shirt for meals. This is Paris after all.
