Hotel Vernet — Paris, France

Haussmann may have rebuilt Paris but the Belle Epoque is when it got sexy. The Hôtel Vernet's 1913 post-Haussmann building has a swooping art nouveau awning and curvaceous balconies that befit the City of Love. And a new interior transformation now does it justice. The hotel, steps from the 'étoile' around the Arc de Triomphe, brought in the interior architect François Champsaur to overhaul the rooms with sinuous furnishings and a backdrop of glass, brass and glossy marble that echoes the guests' stiletto heels. The cosy wood-panelled reception now feels closer to a private residence than a hotel. Upstairs, the bedrooms are tailored with tactile cottons, silks and velvets and cosseted in curved wood walls; the bar is splashed with flattering golden light and modernist art. But the main draw is the Le V restaurant, with its original glass dome by Gustave Eiffel. Champsaur added curved leather banquettes to follow its rounded forms and mirrored walls to reflect the light around. It is a space to fall in love in, and fall in love with.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
25 rue Vernet
Paris
France
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Based in London, Ellen Himelfarb travels widely for her reports on architecture and design. Her words appear in The Times, The Telegraph, The World of Interiors, and The Globe and Mail in her native Canada. She has worked with Wallpaper* since 2006.
-
Frieze London 2025: all the fashion moments to look out for
The best fashion happenings to add to your Frieze London 2025 schedule, from Dunhill’s curation of talks at Frieze Masters to an exhibition of furniture by Rick Owens
-
Artists reflect on Kate Bush lyrics for a War Child auction
Peter Doig and Maggi Hambling are among artists interpreting Kate Bush’s 1985 track ‘Running Up That Hill’ for War Child’s online auction
-
Explore Tom Kundig’s unusual houses, from studios on wheels to cabins slotted into boulders
The American architect’s entire residential portfolio is the subject of a comprehensive new book, ‘Tom Kundig: Complete Houses’
-
Hôtel Le Provençal is a sun-kissed family affair
A 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 Paris
Industrial 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 house
Architect 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 warmth
Once 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 collection
The 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
-
Discover Philippe Starck’s most surreal hotel yet
At Maison Heler Metz, brutalism meets bedtime story, with a 19th-century home perched on a concrete tower and a fictional host guiding the way