Montpellier’s Grand Hotel du Midi has just had an overhaul, courtesy of designer Julie Gauthron, who enhanced the original staircases, stained glass windows and ornate ceilings of the 1876 Haussmannian building with unexpected colour associations from black and yellow to red and aubergine, and subtle touches - such as dancers engraved into desk legs - inspired by her grandmother’s tales of dance evenings at the hotel. Meanwhile, custom fabric headboards, zany wallpapers, bold carpets and 50s Danish-style furnishings result in a contemporary-baroque look.
The same style runs through the scarlet red bar, Les Loges, where the eye bounces along the curve in the furniture. The breakfast room, with its original wood panels and green stained glass doors, are updated with dashes of lime and purple, while whimsical ballet motifs on the walls reinforce the hotel’s theatrical element.
Outside, the hotel is lined with stone balconies, from where guests can watch life unravel in Montpellier's buzzine square, the Place de la Comédie.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
22 Boulevard Victor Hugo
-
New York's iconic Breuer Building is now Sotheby's global headquarters. Here's a first lookHerzog & de Meuron implemented a ‘light touch’ in bringing this Manhattan landmark back to life
-
Inside the process of creating the one-of-a-kind book edition gifted to the Booker Prize shortlisted authorsFor over 30 years each work on the Booker Prize shortlist are assigned an artisan bookbinder to produce a one-off edition for the author. We meet one of the artists behind this year’s creations
-
This Mumbai apartment feels pixelated, like walking into a retro video gameA MuseLAB-designed space embraces a repetitive grid pattern, yet manages to feel completely open and unrestrained
-
A local’s guide to Paris by Art Basel newcomer Ash LoveVisual artist Ash Love shares their essential addresses in the French capital as the city hosts the art fair’s fourth edition
-
Hôtel Le Provençal is a sun-kissed family affairA beloved third-generation hotel in the south of France reopens with a fresh look, all whilst preserving its authentic midcentury heritage
-
A night at Le Meurice’s Suite 1835 is like ‘sleeping in an exhibition’At the historic Paris hotel, design studio Things From shake things up with an installation-like suite – a futuristic cocoon available until the end of 2025 only
-
Crosby Studios reimagines the espresso bar in ParisIndustrial poetry and a blaze of orange define Café Nuances’ latest outpost in Le Marais
-
Yannick Alléno takes over Monsieur Dior: ‘What would Christian Dior do if he were to create a restaurant today?’At 30 Montaigne in Paris, the world’s most Michelin-starred chef reimagines French gastronomy as Christian Dior himself might have dreamt it
-
Les Domaines de Chabran redefines the Provençal summer houseArchitect Alain Meylan and interior designer Liliana Atilova bring contemporary finesse to centuries-old country houses in southern France. Discover their latest
-
At La Fondation hotel in Paris, minimalism has irresistible warmthOnce a parking lot, this 17th-arrondissement stay now offers rooftop city views, cocooning suites, and interiors by Roman and Williams
-
Sip in style at 30,000 feet with Air France’s new premier cocktail collectionThe airline partners with mixologist Matthias Giroud on three new signature cocktails for its La Première customers – here’s to a modern negroni, or a spicy non-alcoholic tipple
