Contributor/ Nessa McAuliffe
Best Known For
At the end of a recent business trip to Paris, a spontaneous decision resulted in an extended weekend break. I stayed in Castille Paris, a very fine boutique hotel that was on my hotel ‘bucket list’ for some time. I was attracted by the calm serenity of the hotel’s location on a quiet street in the 1st arrondissement and next door to Chanel’s original design house. By coincidence, I had watched the movie Coco Chanel the week before, serendipity is alive and well I thought to myself! This is a sign…
The Good Stuff
The hotel lobby was opulent with fine antiques, exquisite upholstery and drapery from a bygone era on display in rich hues of cooking apple green, Bordeaux red and aubergine. Far from being intimidating, I had the feeling I was in fact in someone’s home. This was further accentuated by Eliot, the resident grey cat aswell as the very friendly staff. This 108 room luxury hotel, including 21 suites, is divided into two wings: the Opéra Wing featuring contemporary Parisian design, marble bathrooms with bulgari toiletries and the Rivoli Wing evoking 1930’s Paris with Robert Doisneau prints and Coco Chanel inspired signature hues of black, white and beige. I had a room view overlooking the rooftops of Place Vendôme and the Tuileries Garden.
The Vibe
To capture the essence of the five star Castille Paris in words is no mean feat. On turning the corner onto Rue Cambon, my first view of the hotel was of an imposing aristocratic eighteenth century façade, a seamless merging of classic Parisian style and Italian sophistication. Although part of the Starwoods Hotel chain, this is not a hotel that fits the sometimes impersonal corporate blueprint. The Castille Paris feels personal and intimate, a home away from home, albeit a very opulent one. Staff and guests are at ease and happy here. It exudes class, sophistication and somehow manages to balance grandeur with an air of unpretentiousness. This is, in my view the perfect hotel in the best neighbourhood in Paris.
Inside the hotel – 8/10
The hotel restaurant ‘L’Assaggio’ is a highly rated traditional Italian eatery in a stunning setting surrounded by fine art. In good weather, the beautiful Florentine interior hotel courtyard is a hive of activity among the well-heeled Parisians. Needless to say, in December it was pretty quiet!
Outside the hotel – 8/10
The 1st arrondissement is the most elegant and has the greatest concentration of historic sights, not to mention the shopping which caters to all purses. My neighbourhood highlights included: a morning stroll to Opéra and the Tuileries Garden, an afternoon visit to the Louvre and to end it all in style, a nightcap in the Hemingway bar in The Ritz with my book.
Booking Information: castille.com/en/home.aspx
Image courtesy of Castille
