Pavillon des Lettres

The Scene

Set in the 8^th arrondissement, Le Pavillon des Lettres is only steps from some of the city's grandest and most iconic sights, including the Champs Elysees, Place de La Concorde and the Grand Palais (not to mention the haute-couture and art-gallery mecca of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore). In spite of all this, the hotel sits in a side street that is relatively quiet--an attribute that carries over to the interiors.

The Concept

Like with its sister hotel, Le Pavillon de la Reine, quiet luxury reigns, though here it is presented as a more playful yet contemplative experience. Its 26 rooms pay homage to literary greats, from A (Hans Christian Andersen) to Z (Emile Zola), with Baudelaire, Hugo, and Voltaire in between. French designer Didier Benderli, who's known for combining elements of the arts from literature to painting to sculpture, did exactly that, incorporating some of the authors' carefully chosen writings onto walls and bathroom glass doors, as well as having their works available at the ground floor library (a trend that seems to be catching on in the rest of the world).

The Look

Complementing its more reflective nature is the hotel's calming color palette, consisting primarily of earth tones (think browns, grays and purples), and 1920's-inpsired furnishings, ranging from velvet textures to stone floors to dark oak trimmings. This look and feel is also consistent in the uniquely-decorated rooms, with the majority of them having large windows allowing plenty of light to flood in; and while most have nice views of the surrounding area, the top-floor suites (Les Romantiques) will provide breathtaking views of the Eiffel tower.

In Short

Between the two sister hotels (Le Pavillon des Lettres and Le Pavillon de la Reine), the common theme is definitely a serene, quiet sophistication. While the latter leaves more to the imagination, Le Pavillon des Lettres is a bit more explicit in reminding us of just how lucky we are to be there.