Grand Amour, Paris, France

Nearly a decade after launching Grand Amour, graffiti artist André Saraiva, restaurateur Emmanuel Delavenne and hotelier Thierry Costes are back with a new property, this time located in one of the city’s most eclectic and off-beat neighbourhoods overflowing with cool bars, buzzing restaurants and hip underground clubs. ‘We found this beautiful building in the 10th district which was the perfect place to explore our new project,’ says Saraiva. ‘It’s called "Grand Amour" because it’s bigger than the first one.’

Indeed, the five-storey pre-Haussmann building - which has been completely overhauled - now accommodates 43 guest rooms (including a suite), a restaurant, bar, library, wine cellar and a sauna. Designed by the trio, the hotel is unabashed and flamboyant, awash with vibrant colours and channelling its sister hotel’s steamy style with erotic Pierre Frey carpeting designed by Saraiva, sensual photography by Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin and artwork from Keith Haring to Dash Snow. ‘Everything that you see here is a piece of history, from the furniture pieces to the decorative elements, we love to collect,’ explains Delavenne. ‘We spent a lot of time in antique shops, auction houses and flea markets looking for outstanding pieces and art works, mostly original designs from the 1930s onwards.’

‘The Grand Amour is part of a new generation of hotels, where chic and trendy become available to everybody. No need to sleep in palaces anymore,’ concluded Thierry Costes.