Last autumn, the Le Marais district of Paris was illuminated in shades of purple and circus performers roamed the cobbled streets – unusual even in a part of the city that has always been synonymous with coexisting bourgeois and bohème. The celebrations were to mark the opening of Le Grand Mazarin, the most eagerly-awaited new property from French luxury hospitality group Maisons Pariente, and the scenes were a Wonka-esque wonderland of kitsch details and serious design, underpinned by a healthy dose of hype and some very impressive partnerships.
Le Grand Mazarin has been open for a matter of weeks when we visit, but the roped entrance and waiting room of guests suggests that the excitement is still full throttle, as do the groups of PR representatives and journalists weaving through the corridors, led by purple suited guides that look plucked straight from a Wes Anderson film.
Set in a 14th-century building, the hotel’s aesthetic – the brainchild of Swedish designer Martin Brudnizki – is a glorious embodiment of contradictions: cutting edge and new world; accented corners in bold colours and dreamy strokes of pastel shades; fun irreverence and serious design clout.
We take in the clashing prints of the reception area, which could be a staged set were it not for the low rumble from the hotel’s restaurant located just through the wall.
Sumptuous pouffes and chaises longues are adorned with tassels, columns are banded with the smallest hint of leopard print, and vintage-style chandeliers emit a dreamlike glow.
We explore the hotel’s nooks and crannies, falling deeper into Brudnizki’s imaginary world: a spiral staircase painted top to bottom in the same shade of circus orange, corridors straight from a 1950s beachside motel, complete with kitsch sea-themed carpet – delightfully out of context in central Paris.
And then there are the bedrooms; The hotel has 61 rooms across different floors, varying in size and amenities from the standard double room with shower to the top floor multi-room suites.
The quality is very high throughout, and even the most basic level of room is designed to impress. The Classic room is cosy, but enjoys the same design flourishes and complimentary extras as the most exclusive rooms.
Centre-stage is the signature canopy bed with a dramatic tapestry by Art de Lys that leads upwards from the headboard before falling from the ceiling in a dramatic cascade.
We spot continuations of the design references seen throughout the hotel, such as shell patterns on the carpet, intricate glass light fixtures and classic mouldings on the walls and ceilings that call back to the building’s historical past.
Our guide delights in a dramatic throwing open of a wooden armoire to reveal the interior in kitsch lobster print. Throughout the rooms and communal spaces, carefully-chosen works shine the spotlight on local artists.
Maisons Pariente is a brand known for high-end luxury, and this is evident from the partnerships employed throughout the hotel. We were impressed to find toiletries by French luxury favourite Diptyque in the bathroom – a fitting choice as the brand is headquartered just across the Seine on Boulevard St Germain. Specially-designed vanity cases offer exceptional extras from the brand. Additional in-room treats are provided by French lifestyle brand Oh My Cream!, and the signature hues so central to the hotel’s design are creations by Farrow and Ball and Pantone. Each room contains a complimentary minibar with select premium spirits in miniature, as well as sweets, snacks, and fruit juices by French brand Alain Milliat. The hotel’s central bar is well-stocked with the best of France, such as champagne from Taittinger.
No two bedrooms are the same, and next we visit a Superior room that boasts an incredible corner location, which – when the gauze drapes are pulled back from French windows – offers views down the bustling boulevards of Le Marais.
The history and culture of Le Marais itself was a central consideration when creating the idea of what Le Grand Mazarin would represent. The area is a true riches to rags to riches story – a former marshland just outside the city walls that rose to great heights as the area chosen as home by Parisian nobility around the 17th century. During this time it flourished in a golden era of architecture, art, and riches. The area experienced a dramatic fall from grace following the French Revolution, its grandiose mansions left to decay and ruin. Later, it became Paris’s Jewish quarter (and is still the best place in the city to find salt beef sandwiches and falafel), and gradually regained its reputation as a desirable place to live by the time the 19th century arrived.
These days, Le Marais is a vibrant cultural hub, the base for many of Paris’s most exciting design and lifestyle brands and a neighbourhood favoured by the LGBTQ+ community. Le Grand Mazarin reflects the best bits of this old world glamour, camp flamboyance and daring design.
In addition to classic-style rooms, the hotel also offers several different levels of suite, the most exclusive being the Presidential Suite – an impressive mini apartment in the building’s eaves, with sliding doors that separate a stylish sitting room with bar, a bedroom featuring the signature canopy bed in king-size, and bathroom with full-sized bath and double sink.
Our guide describes Paris Fashion Week this year, when the suite was used as a dressing room for one of the shows, the bedroom used as a makeshift closet and make up applied in the bathroom. Looking around, it feels like the perfect setting.
Our favourite bedroom of all isn’t the most expensive, but the Grand Parisian Junior Suite. Up a small staircase, you arrive in an attic room hardwood flooring and full-length French windows. One of the windows is open, leading out to the most perfect rooftop balcony, which is furnished with a simple table and chairs in the hotel’s signature sage green. It doesn’t look real – like something from the imagination of Amélie Poulain.
From this vantage point, surrounding apartment blocks offer a literal window into the lives of locals, and the buildings reflect a roving light from somewhere in the distance – the Eiffel Tower. It’s the most exquisite people-watching spot.
Anything you read about Le Grand Mazarin is likely to mention its picture-perfect swimming pool. It’s a warm sanctuary on the ground floor with low, vaulted ceilings that have been painstakingly hand painted in a dream-like scene by Parisian artist Jacques Merle. The pool is a shock of saccharine turquoise against contrasting vertical lines that lead to a low-lit jacuzzi grotto, while Roman columns give the impression of a bygone era. For the hotel’s opening, the pool was transformed into a magical fantasy land complete with mermaids.
The hotel has a small gym space with a selection of machines and a free weights that you’d expect from a hotel gym, except this one also has vintage Murano glass lamps.
Another unusual selling point is that Le Grand Mazarin’s dining offering includes Boubalé – a restaurant attracting visitors from near and far in its own right. Taking into account the neighbourhood’s historical connection with the Jewish community, Boubalé (meaning “little darling” in Yiddish) offers a stylish take on Eastern European Ashkenazi cuisine, and boasts a captivating aesthetic experience modelled on the interiors of Russian dachas. Read more about our experience at Boubalé in the Eat section.
In addition to the excellent culinary experience offered by Boubalé, Le Grand Mazarin offers 24/7 in-room dining, which bodes very well for fully indulging in the eclectic nightlife that the surrounding area has to offer.
With this latest opening, Maisons Pariente has taken a detour from its usual classic French style, favouring bold and whimsical design with plenty of substance. The well-chosen partnerships with leading national brands pay homage to the quality of French produce, and Brudnizki’s interiors breathe new life into 14th-century surroundings. Quality is key here, from the excellent culinary offering to top of the range in-room luxuries.
Le Grand Mazarin is still very much in the midst of a period of hype, which looks set to last for some time to come. Beyond this, a strong brand and unique offering all but guarantees staying power. Come for the candy-coloured interiors, stay for the high standards – and be sure to enjoy at least one morning coffee on that incredible balcony.
Classic rooms at Le Grand Mazarin start from €520 per night, including breakfast and leisure access. The best rates are available via the hotel’s website.
This was a press visit – all opinions are our own.
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