Adored by Parisians, Marais is one of the world’s most effervescent neighbourhoods, and for this reason it’s becoming increasingly popular with international visitors. And so, it’s no surprise that it’s attracting new hotels to be popping up here and there.
One of these new hotels is Le Grand Mazarin which opened its doors just two years ago. A five star hotel located just steps from the famous Hotel de Ville, Le Grand Mazarin is a singular address that exudes flamboyancy.
The hotel is housed in a historic 14th-century building but its interiors are anything but traditional. The décor is refined yet eclectic. It is quirky and chic, and around every corner there is yet another surprise.
Designed by acclaimed designer, Martin Brudnizki, the hotel features antique furniture, vintage objects, seashells embedded in wallpaper, custom designed rugs which comprise a patchwork of fabrics with baroque details (think: lobsters hidden in the design). Wall colours are vibrant, some ceilings are adorned with fabric, the flooring is busy with patterns. Your eyes simply don’t know where to look next.
The design is a work of art, demonstrating Brudnizki’s unlimited imagination.
“Le Grand Mazarin is brave, eclectic, joyful, but also deeply rooted in its city, its culture, in its history. A private hotel, classic and quirky, chic and unexpected” says Leslie Kouhana, President of Maisons Pariente.
The hotel has 47 rooms and 14 suites, each of which bring the same vibrancy and zest for life as the rest of the hotel. Think velvet headboards, tapestry canopies above the bed, brightly coloured rugs with matching bedspreads, contrasting wall colours, and endless intricate design details scattered throughout.
As I checked into my room, I couldn’t help but be drawn over to the traditional Parisian window which looked out onto the street. Marais is a chic neighbourhood and one where people watching is at its finest. Electric blackout curtains envelope the windows, though, meaning you can leave the lively streets of Marais behind when you retreat to your room in the evening. The best of both worlds.
A design detail I particularly love in each of the guest rooms and suites is the wardrobe. Each one is custom built, and inside you’ll find painted wooden finishings and whacky wallpaper. In the particular room I stayed in, the wardrobe was a warm yet vibrant coral pink with bright orange lobster print wallpaper inside. A striking design detail that has evidently left a lasting impression on me.
Downstairs, there is a restaurant – Boubale, two bars, a heated indoor swimming pool, a treatment room, hammam, and a fitness room.
Boubale is the affectionate term for “my little doll, my darling” in Yiddish. This is how the two co-founders of the Maisons Pariente group – which Le Grand Mazarin is part of – were called as children by their grandmothers.
At Boubale, the sunkissed flavours of the Mediterranean meet the spices and recipes of the Levant, Turkey, and more precisely, the Bosphorus. Each dish is a symbol of the union between distant continents and their rich, savoury culinary traditions. At the crossroads of Europe, the East, and the Middle East, Boubale invites guests to reconnect with others around a table filled with carefully prepared dishes or in the warmth of a cuisine that embraces the cultures it brings together. More than just a restaurant, Boubale is a place to share pleasure and togetherness above all.
Beneath the beautiful 14th-century building is a heated swimming pool that demands as much attention as the rest of Le Grand Mazarin.
With a vaulted ceiling and columns decorated with a fresco painted by visual artist, Jacques Merle, the swimming pool really is a showstopper to be admired as you glide through the warm water or from one of the few loungers that surround the pool.
Intimacy is something to note about Le Grand Mazarin – the hotel is designed with comfort in mind. The swimming pool has only a handful of loungers, for example, and most tables in the bar are for two. Despite the vibrant and eclectic décor which screams energy, the hotel invites romance and intimacy. It is typically and charmingly Parisian in that way.
Jacques Merle, the artist responsible for the swimming pool fresco, is just one of many young artists who have been invited to express themselves at Le Grand Mazarin. Supporting the new generation of artistic talent, the hotel is proud to offer spaces to young artists so they can continue to write the rich artistic history of the Marais within the walls of this centuries-old building.
One of the hotel’s two bars – Le Petit Bazar – is more than just a bar. It’s hidden in the basement of the hotel and is home to an electrifying atmosphere. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, guests can dance the night away until 2am in what feels like Marais’ best kept secret. More cabaret than club, expect quirky décor, dim lighting, a disco ball, and an effervescent atmosphere to match the district of Marais.
17 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France
