Sofa and carpet
(Image credit: press)

In yet another addition to Paris’s burgeoning array of Grand Dame hideaways, the latest opening from uber-luxe Spanish-based hotel chain - the Derby Collection - comes in the form of Banke, a sprawling Catalonian gem set in the heart of the Quartier Haussmann.

Sofa and pillars

(Image credit: press)

Take a little look inside Banke hotel in Paris

Combining Parisian sumptuousness with starck North African features, a 19 metre high, glass domed and mosaic tiled entrance lobby sets the tone of things to come.

The hotel boasts two restaurants - serving Spanish staples such as calamari, roasted artichoke and an eclectic charcuterie - and a brooding teahouse-cum-cocktail-bar, which makes a seamless move from ginseng to G&T as the sun sets over the Haussmann.

Designed by architects Paul Fresse and Cassien Bernard, the synthesis between avant garde and antique is evident in everything from the chandelier studded public spaces and gilded vermilion hallways, down to the plush, open guestrooms, and the Phillipe Starck stools that dot the bar.

Taking the building’s grand architectural roots as a kick off point, Fresse and Bernard have succeeded in bringing a slice of opulent Catalonian calm to the centre of Paris.

ADDRESS

Rue La Fayette 20
75009 Paris

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Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms