Belle Epoque Atelier Remodelled into Design and Art Boutique Hotel
City of art.
On the Left Bank in Paris’ Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, l’Hôtel des Académies et des arts brings the charm of a belle époque atelier to a stylish boutique hotel. French design team Stéphanie Lizée and Raphael Hugot reimagined the interior space as a relaxing retreat meant to inspire artistic creation—an exciting project for the duo who felt an immediate connection to the building.
“It was obvious to draw inspiration from the soul of the neighborhood in which the biggest names were born…Picasso, Modigliani, Gauguin, and so many others,” Lizée says.
The history of vibrant creativity isn’t limited to the surrounding neighbourhood—Modigliani, Gauguin, and Fujita worked within the hotel’s walls. It’s a history that’s familiar to Lizée and Hugot, who both studied in Paris before opening their joint firm, Lizée-Hugot, last year.
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For the duo, their designs are a way to bring their passions to life–Hugot expresses his love for drafting, and Lizée loses herself in the quest for materials, selecting unique pieces with decorative contrasts. In the hotel, their relaxed approach toward stream-lined luxury lets the artwork and belle époque history speak for itself. Antique furniture, natural wood, lime plaster, and green bronze punctuate the spaces, while retro finishes and playful artwork keep it contemporary and fresh. Bay windows overlook the street and the glass rooftop of the Academy of Art.
The prominent display of works by modern artists including, Caroline LeSeur, and Marie Laure André-Novak establishes the hotel as an operating atelier, not just a relic of eras past. Pastel murals by artist Franck Lebraly pay tribute to cubism and surrealism.
Lizée-Hugot designed the hotel’s furniture and appointed all accessories and decorative objects.
The 20 rooms are simple but refined, with whitewashed walls and raw wood, inspired by Van Gogh’s painting The Bedroom: silver fixtures and olive green colourways weave through each unique room. On the ceilings, Lebraly’s custom frescoes nod to Picasso’s sketches.
Downstairs, the café atelier offers a meeting point for visitors to connect over breakfast, tea, or an aperitif, surrounded by young artists’ paintings and sketches, each for sale. The café serves fresh pastries and bread from Boulangerie Maison M’seddi, served on figurative earthenware.
Guests can also spend time in the workshop, illuminated by a skylight, where they can emulate the greats who worked here in days past—or create something entirely new.
Art courses, including sketching, sculpture, and photography, are taught through the hotel, which hosts regular exhibitions by local creatives. For professional, aspirational, or thus far untapped, Hotel des Académies et des Arts is a weekend destination to awaken the inner creative.
