Maison Bréguet hotel - Paris, France

Few would have guessed that a former washing machine factory in Paris’ 11th arrondissement would ever house a five-star boutique hotel. Brice Errera and Samuel Gelrubin, the young entrepreneurs who envisioned Maison Bréguet, recognised the fortitude of the property and spent three years working on a gamble that has surely paid off.

54 guestrooms – one of which is almost like a private residence housing up to eight people – are unexpectedly bright and spacious for city standards, not least some top-floor spaces, which show off sweeping Parisian rooftop views. 

Much like its neighbourhood, design cues are diverse. Juan Alvarez of London-based firm Sagrada decked out the interiors with bespoke seating and lighting, Pierre Frey wallpaper, and chevron-patterned Carrara marble accents. Clean, neutral-coloured wall panelling provides a sense of poise and polish to many of the rooms courtesy of artist and craftsman Pierre Bonnefille, whose atelier lies conveniently opposite the hotel.

This being Paris, nearby galleries and cafés are in no short order, but not to linger at Maison Bréguet would be a mistake. In the restaurant, David Lanher and Marco Marzilli source local produce for dishes like the fresh-caught red mullet or vegetable ravioli. While, for a dose of artistic culture, the hotel runs a Friends of Maison Bréguet programme, a curated rotation of talks and workshops given by all sorts from film journalists to creative directors and authors like novelist Aude Walker and film commentator Emily Barnett. Selections from these tastemakers also enrich the guest rooms, where films, musical playlists, and literary works are available bedside for a night in or a lazy morning.