Boutique Stay in Paris: Grand Pigalle Hotel

Just down the hill from Montmartre, in a historic building in the trendy neighborhood of South Pigalle, sits Grand Pigalle Hotel. Step into the geometrically tiled lobby and up to the glowing brass desk to be warmly greeted, and to receive your tassel-adorned room key.

For fairly compact accommodations, the impact of the rooms’ design is big. You’re whisked back to the age of art deco with dark jewel tone accents, plush headboards, and boldly patterned wallpaper. A handwritten welcome card personalizes the experience from the start. Through sheer curtains, doors open to a wrought iron balcony overlooking the bustling cross streets below. The bathroom’s emerald tiling is as inviting as the luxurious robes that hang inside.

The restaurant housed within the hotel, Frenchie Pigalle, is an experience within itself. Opt for a seat at the bar in the back and you’ll feel as if you’ve been invited into the kitchen as you observe the team expertly assembling plates. Here, the wall between guest and chef is easily penetrated—the cooks are delighted by gastronomic curiosity and eager to chat. The menu is small, inventive yet sophisticated, and changes often. One item I think they always have—and that you should order—is the gougères.

I am always impressed by the distinctively thoughtful design and superior hospitality of Experimental Group hotels and Grand Pigalle is no exception.