Inside Paris’ Haute New Hotel

Compared to Paris’ old-world, grand dame hotels dripping in gold-leaf boiserie and crystal that outdates Napoleon, the new Bulgari Hotel Paris—the seventh property from the Italian jewellery house—appears pared back and casual. But look a little closer, and this new address quickly reveals its Roman heritage and Parisian postal code.

Bulgari Hotel Paris sits within the city’s upmarket Golden Triangle on Avenue George V, essentially across the street from Four Seasons Hotel George V (one of those aforementioned grand dames). In lieu of a cavernous lobby, the hotel welcomes guests in a contemporary warren of low-ceilinged rooms, stitched together with amber mood lighting, glossy surfaces, and blown-up images of vintage Bulgari magazine advertisements.

Spread across 11 floors, the hotel’s 76 guest rooms offer a lighter take on the same chic Parisian style. Low-slung, retro-style chairs are upholstered in caramel-coloured leather. Mini-bars stashed in custom Bulgari travel trunks are wrapped in tweed. Walls are swathed in silvery raw silk. And beds are strewn with cashmere throws. It’s all very tactile and very plush.

Views—best enjoyed with a glass of rosé in hand—spill out on the tree-lined Avenue George V, with the Eiffel Tower playing peek-a-boo behind the spire of the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Bathrooms show off more unmatched European craftmanship, with frosted glass engraved with the Bulgari Serpenti Constellation motif using the same technique as famed glass designer René Lalique. Spacious Navona travertine bathtubs come equipped with pumice stones, loofas, and incense (to be lit with branded matches), and vanities are stashed with just about every amenity one needs, including wooden-handled shaving kits and makeup brushes. Richly scented, generously portioned toiletries are all Bulgari—naturally.

Traversing two floors and nearly 1,000 square metres, the rooftop penthouse suite serves as both a secret garden and hidden den of design, with Arabescato marble bathroom, antique hand-woven Anatolian carpeting, and a rooftop of leafy magnolias, oaks, and pear trees. However, while the penthouse has two kitchens and a bar, dinner at Il Ristorante Niko Romito (of the three-Michelin-star Reale in Abruzzo) is worth leaving the suite for, with lavish, olive oil-slicked homemade pastas and updated Northern Italian classics served on whimsical Ginori designer porcelain.

Other than the showstopping penthouse, Bulgari Hotel Paris has another serious brag for Paris: an exquisite spa, including a pool. Crowned with a golden mosaic, creamy Vicenza stone and warm Burmese teak, this Roman bath-like spa is enough to convince even the most diehard grand dame habitué to pay a visit—and even perhaps become a regular.