Opened in June, the Eldorado hotel is already making the most of its prime location in the Batignolles area, near Place Clichy in Paris. The 44th room is located on the fourth floor and overlooks the greenery and the tops of the trees. From up there, you can see the striped umbrellas in the courtyard. Palm trees, banana trees, and tropical ferns complement the Parisian flora, which consists of two tall deciduous trees. At the hotel’s terrace or in the winter lounge, guests can dine on Isigny oysters, spaghetti with poutargue, and a flambéed Vacherin.
The hotel, which features floral motifs even in the elevator, offers all the contemporary comforts while cultivating a retro touch with manual keys, rotary switches, and round porcelain sockets. Returning to the room before bed, you enter a different dimension. The large oak bed and the overloaded tapestry evoke a house deep in the woods. An original large painting seems to represent this forest house. You could be very far from the city, in a hunting lodge.
Entering the bathroom, the whiteness stands out, enhanced by the gray tones of the Carrara marble. The bath can be enjoyed along the window, lying against the Parisian night. The hotel blurs the lines, suggests sensations, and evokes experiences. The next day, you may notice a famous actor-rapper being interviewed in the garden. However, when you step back out onto Rue des Dames, you would swear that none of that ever existed. The hotel appears imperceptible from the outside. A dream.
The Eldorado Hotel, 18 Rue des Dames, Paris, November 22, 2023.
Hotel L’Eldorado, rooms starting from 330 €. 18 Rue des Dames, Paris 17th.
At 250 meters: Confronting Images
This former hotel, which previously housed a cabaret on the ground floor and a large ballroom in the basement, is now home to Le Bal, a place dedicated to contemporary photography at its finest. Until February 25th, the “From Her” exhibition focuses on artists and their mothers. Sophie Calle, Hervé Guibert, Christian Boltanski, and many others are featured in a unique scenography.
Le Bal, 6 Impasse de la Défense, Paris 18th. Open Wednesday to Sunday. 8 €.
Le Bal, November 22, 2023.
At 290 meters: Meeting the Young Literary Guard
Established here since 1881, the venerable Wepler has a south-facing terrace for observing the life of the boulevards. Inside, on the moleskin benches, you can read the newspaper, held in its reading racks. The ballet of servers in black and white perpetuates this 20th-century spirit. Under the guidance of Marie-Rose Guarnieri, a Montmartroise bookseller, the Wepler-Fondation La Poste Literary Prize organizes a party every year.
