The Beata Heuman-designed Hôtel de la Boétie is a perfect romantic getaway in the heart of Paris. As the sixth addition to Touriste’s portfolio, the property presents a movie-like approach to design, following in the footsteps of Luke Edward Hall’s Hôtel Les Deux Gares and Chloé Nègre’s flamboyant Hôtel de Beauregard.
Hôtel de la Boétie sits in the heart of Paris
Situated in Paris’ eighth arrondissement, near the Champs-Élysées area, the 40-room property combines rococo style with modern design, featuring chic interiors. Heuman’s choices were informed by the simplicity of Parisian style but with a twist. The unassuming façade of the building’s 19th-century architecture houses simple interiors with a palette of rich block colours, natural woods, stainless steel and brass. Some surfaces and materials are reflective and glossy, giving guests a distorted reflection of themselves.
The lobby leads to a theatrical lounge wrapped in silver wallpaper, which reflects passers-by on the street. Grassy green carpets run throughout, all the way to the bedrooms, which showcase three colour schemes: moody, glossy blue; shades of brown; and a light, airy blue across the top two floors. The bedrooms feature Heuman’s original headboards and upholstered sculptural rugs inspired by Cappelle Medici’s inlaid marble floors in Florence.
Each room displays offbeat art, antiques, and objects, including many items from Heuman’s own interior collection ‘Shoppa’, such as the ‘Knot’ handles on the wardrobes, the ‘Cub’ chair, the ‘Lion’ chair, as well as irreverent statement lighting such as the ‘Dodo Egg’ light, ‘Crinkle’ lights, and ‘Paper Bag’ lights. The hotel’s clean, streamlined design mostly features natural and solid materials to age gracefully; the desks, bedsides and breakfast tables are all made from wood that will develop a beautiful patina over time. Existing elements of the former hotel were also preserved where possible and reworked into the new design, such as the marble entrance, lift and staircase.
Heuman believes that a hotel is all about having an experience for a day or two, which enables designers to explore a concept and a mood to a greater extent. ‘We can treat it a bit like a stage set, which is not the approach I would take when it comes to someone’s home.’ She continues: ‘When it comes to residential, the client is in the centre, but with commercial work, it is more about our vision, rather than another individual. This has opened up new paths for us creatively, which has been inspiring. I also loved working on the hotel’s branding, a first for us.’
Hôtel de la Boétie is located close to Parisian attractions such as Le Petit Palais, Le Grand Palais, l’Arc de Triomphe, Musée Yves Saint Laurent, La Galerie Dior, and Avenue Montaigne.
