Hôtel Providence
Photo credit Benoit Linero
If you want to discover Paris's new epicentre, take a trip to the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Strasbourg-Saint Denis. Here you'll find a composite of cultures, arts, and international cuisine. And when you're ready for a cocktail after the day's discoveries, head to the corner of Rue René Boulanger and Rue Bouchardon, behind the Renaissance and Porte Saint-Martin theatres, into the cosy-cool of Hôtel Providence.
As you walk through the doors from the cobbled streets, it's as if you've travelled through time. It is dimly lit and moody with a reception area overlooked by two angels carved in mahogany. Luxurious jewel-toned furniture sits against deep blue textured walls where vintage portraits and lamps hang by the fireplace to complete the welcoming look. All this tempered with modern details and hip-hop beats to keep the edge and the time frame.
The reception sits at one end of the bar that is sure to be filled with well-informed locals and intrepid travellers, the purlieu for those on the pulse and an eye for aesthetics. Hôtel Providence is the place to stop, whether for the night, lunch, dinner with a glass of fine wine or a delicious cocktail by a master mixologist. The menu is a blend of classic and refined dishes including grilled meat and fish cooked in a wood-fired oven. The selection of starters includes scallop carpaccio or foie gras and smoked eel. Share a seafood platter of urchins, cuttlefish and Bouzigues oysters or if you'd prefer room service instead you can order at any time of day from a selection of revisited classics. Try the toasted farmhouse bread with black truffle, or a lobster sandwich served on brioche bread, with vegetable crisps, beetroot, burratta & granny smith carpaccio.
Photo credit Benoit Linero
And then to the rooms, there are 18 in total. To reach them you travel in a glass-panelled lift up a staircase adorned with Madeleine Castaing's banana leaf patterns. Whether a small treasure chest or a deluxe suite, they are sumptuous. Clad in velvet wallpaper by House of Hackney in vivid colours and bold motifs, each has its signature look. A gold sunrise headboard against ruby red or deep blue velvet loungers against opulent gold leaves. In every room, you'll find made-to-measure pieces and reclaimed treasures from Parisian antique shops, remastered to give distinctive details.
There is a new meaning to minibar in this hotel. Here you'll find a cocktail bar to call your own inspired by the design of the traditional Parisian counter. Each is equipped for every concoction with perfectly placed copper shakers, a fully stocked fridge and decor-matching bar stools on which to perch while your partner mixes. There is an airy yet comfortable feel. Many rooms have balconies with views atop the winding streets of the Haute-Marais and the Théâtre de la Renaissance. In the marble mosaic bathrooms, Ramdane Touhami's bespoke Fleur de Tubereuse toiletries smell like heaven. There should be an Eau de parfum. If there were it would be our signature scent. On the top floor, you'll find the 40m2 exquisite master suite designed as an apartment; it is equipped with a retro record player and a selection of mood-enhancing vinyl. In the lofty heights of the mansard roof, windows are abundant with aspects across the Sacré-Cœur basilica and the zinc rooftops of the 10th arrondissement.
Hôtel Providence is the first such venture for bistrot owner turned-hotelier Pierre Moussié. With the successes of Chez Jeanette, Le Mansart, and Brasserie Barbès he is bringing new life to Paris's east. His wife, Elodie Moussié and her partner Sophie Richard bring an element of vintage cool with their extraordinary interiors. The name fits the hotel, for every detail has been meticulously covered, from the design, the service, the cocktails, a USB socket by each bed and those Fleur de Tubereuse articles de toilette.
If you'd prefer to leave the cocktail shaking to the barman, or you want to venture outside, there are plenty of options. Brasserie Barbès is an obvious choice; you'll be guaranteed quality since it's one of Pierre Moussié's restaurants. La Pharmacie comes recommended or try Andy Wahloo the quirky, colourful bar from the Momo family. However, if you've come for a relaxing getaway rather than a pavement pounding one and you don't want to leave your pied-à-terre, then you'll find everything you need in this beautiful hidden gem.
What can we say, except, get a room!
