In 2007, childhood friends Romée de Goriainoff, Olivier Bon and Pierre-Charles Cros redefined the Parisian bar scene with the opening of the Experimental Cocktail Club. Seven establishments later, with further outposts in London, New York and Ibiza, the clan are expanding yet again, this time with the launch of a boutique ‘bed and beverage’ property called Grand Pigalle Hôtel. Located in the new ‘bobo’ (bohemian-bourgeois) neighbourhood of ‘SoPi’ (South Pigalle), the property also incorporates the adjoining building – a former pharmacy – that serves as the lobby as well as an Italian wine bar. Bursting with typical Parisian charm, the 37-room hotel features bull’s eye windows, which frame romantic views of the nearby Sacré Coeur, while balconies look out onto Villa Frochot, where 19th-century painter Toulouse-Lautrec once lived. The interiors exude designer Dorothée Meilichzon’s cosy, contemporary-retro style, with deep colours, bespoke mahogany furniture and quirky reminders of SoPi’s octagonal shape. Original mouldings, fireplaces and distressed wallpaper meanwhile, echo the area’s bohemian hey-day.
