In a nutshell: A youthful, lively hotel designed by Philippe Starck in an unexpected Paris neighbourhood
The neighbourhood
The 16th arrondissement of Paris, in the far west of the city, isn’t typically on the traditional tourist itinerary – despite it being walking distance from the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.
This tucked-away-ness lends Brach, which opened in late 2018 as part of the Evok Hotels group, a quiet, neighbourly feel with a popular local brasserie (Le Chalet on Rue de la Pompe) and a host of very-Parisian-in-feel butchers, wine shops and pharmacies a short walk away.
Just over the Périphérique ring road (Paris' M25 equivalent) is the Bois de Boulogne, one of the city's major green lungs and home to the Louis Vuitton Fondation, an angular glass Frank Gehry-designed art gallery. Brach has four electric bikes for rent, which make for an easy-on-the-legs way to explore the park.
The look
Brach is a former sorting house given a modern edge by French designer Philippe Starck, who seems to have his fingerprints all over the Parisian hospitality scene.
From the outside it’s so low-key that you’d be forgiven for walking straight past – as I did initially, thinking that the grey concrete box just housed the next-door post office. But look up, and you’ll see a rooftop garden spilling over with plants, and a ping-pong table outside with a handful of pavement seats.
The playful vibe continues inside. There’s a compact lobby with plenty of quirk: a table covered in dripping wax from tall candles, a living room-style brasserie stuffed with marble high-top tables, mismatched chairs and sofas covered in leather and strewn with colourful cubist pillows. Arty magazines and books (think Gagosian catologues and Assouline tomes) are set at jaunty angles on most surfaces.
Then there’s the branding. Every product – from the in-res candles that burn sweetly and house olive oil to the pillowcases and bag of croissants at breakfast – is stamped with Brach’s blocky logo, so you immediately know you’re staying somewhere Very Cool and Important.
Rooms follow the same design scheme as the public spaces: bronze accents; small cacti in posh pots; prints, sculptures and paintings; zigzagging colours and fabrics. And lots and lots of books. In my deluxe room they were even stacked up the side of a custom lamp, which added a nice cerebral touch.
The vibe
Super trendy, obviously. Starck is known for his contemporary, democratic design, and Brach follows his theory to the letter. The staff, all clad in bespoke Tricolore-accented Le Coq Sportif garb, are as good-looking as the clientele who roam the mysteriously dark guest room floors.
But Brach is also very thoughtful and artistic, demonstrated by the hundreds of paintings, prints and photos of varying sizes that hang from the burnt orange walls, as well as the minimalist sculptures and masks that line a tall shelf in the rooms.
In addition, each room is equipped with an in-house music system loaded with five curated playlists, controlled via a chic bronze dial on the wall. (Playlist three is the most upbeat: it’s the one that plays in the gym.)
Food and drink
The downstairs brasserie is a one-size-fits all space, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between, it also acts as a patisserie by pastry chef Yann Brys, blissed-out lounge, chilled co-working space and bar (phew).
The menu is broadly Mediterranean, but with some twists: head chef Adam Bentalha grew up between Algeria and France, which lends the dishes a Middle Eastern twist. If you're not staying, the storming Sunday brunch (although expensive at €90 a head) seems perpetually popular.
Meanwhile, the first-floor terrace bar that opens during the summer months is a comfy-chic space that serves cocktails and dim sum.
There’s also a bar in the room, complete with mini bottles of spirits and recipe cards to make your own cocktails.
Pools, spas and public areas
A lap pool is underneath the hotel, complete with large Jacuzzi. The sauna, salt room and hammam are – weirdly – through the fitness area, but nobody bats an eyelid at guests sliding between the two in hooded, Brach-branded waffle dressing gowns.
The reception area on the first floor has two Macs amid a riot of cushions, sequinned armchairs and leather stools underneath what looks suspiciously like a Picasso daubed on the ceiling.
Nuts and bolts
Room count: 59
In the bathroom: Own brand toiletries, of course. Other amenities (shaving kit, toothbrush) are available on request.
Wifi: Free
Minibar charges: Yes
Disability access: Yes
Pet policy: Allowed
Bottom line
Best thing: The restaurant, which doubles as an art-gallery-slash-living-room at all times.
Worst thing: There are no kettles or coffee-making machines in the rooms.
Perfect for: Third-time visitors to Paris who want to discover a different bit of the city, or art- and design-conscious travellers.
Not right for: Those who want more heavy-handed service or a traditional luxury hotel experience.
Instagram from: The secret rooftop, accessible via a secret staircase on level six. It’s covered in flower and herb beds, some of which are used in the restaurant downstairs. There’s also a Swedish hot-tub and a sauna, plus a load of chickens (also seen perching on top of a stool in the hotel’s logo). The views are superb up here, owing to strict laws governing tall buildings in Paris, and you can tick off all the main sights, from business district La Defense to the Tour de Montparnasse, Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur.
Room rate: From €490 (including tax) per night.
brachparis.com
