A nondescript limestone building in Paris’s bustling Little India, the exterior of Hôtel les Deux Gares is merely a mirage to conceal the theatrical world that lies beyond its doors. The debut hotel by British artist and designer Luke Edward Hall, the property—with its vivid and cheery color schemes—is quite the contrast coming off of the city’s muted, gray streets.
The master of mismatch, Hall wanted the property to feel like “the home of a bohemian Parisian collector” rather than a hotel. To do so, he sourced antiques from various decades, French wallpapers, English carpets, mid-century lighting, and an eclectic mix of fabrics with dissimilar patterns and prints. The result: an utterly eccentric retreat for travelers, unlike any other in the City of Lights.
Upon entering, a bold pea-green lobby showcasing a 19th-century French gilt table and a pair of mid-century Spanish ceramic table lamps welcomes guests. Toile de Jouy wallpaper and leopard-print furniture surround them. Upstairs, Hall juxtaposes candy-striped headboards with wall lamps decorated in his own drawings as well as ebonized furniture. Even the hotel’s fitness center is an interior design opportunity—here, Hall opted for floral wallpaper and red-and-white checkboard flooring.
And while buttery croissants (naturally) and craft coffee are served daily in the breakfast nook at the back of the lobby, the hotel’s cafe across the street, Café Les Deux Gares, is where the magic happens. Formally a bar, Hall transformed the space into a light and airy bistro with a few Art Deco touches.
The 40-room hotel, Located halfway between Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est in the 10th arrondissement, sits on an elevated street overlooking train tracks of one of the city’s oldest stations. The latest addition to hotel group Touriste’s portfolio, it counts Panache, Bienvenue, and Beaurepaire, among its sister properties, with another slated to open in London next spring.
