Why this spectacular 1920 Paris hotel is the perfect 2024 destination
How many times I have visited Paris with the hope of an Eiffel Tower glimpse from my room, only to be disappointed. Not this time.
“Do you like your room?” asks our hostess, leading us into our chamber in Hotel Grand Powers and sweeping aside the curtains to let the afternoon sunshine flood in.
It takes some self-control for me to not laugh. Do I like this fifth-floor room with its wrought-iron balcony and view through the beautiful Haussmann buildings directly to the Eiffel Tower? Surely the question is rhetorical. Because yes, indeed, I do like this room. If I had been looking for a postcard example of what a Parisian hotel should be like, then I’ve found it. It is perfection.
We have arrived at Hotel Grand Powers almost by accident. We’d been intending to stay in a hot new hotel, due to open, like so many in the French capital, in time for this year’s Olympics – but owing to a last-minute hitch our room wasn’t available. A travel insider pointed us instead to this boutique property, recommending its charm and great location.
And so begins our sojourn at what is surely one of Paris’s best-kept secrets, a 50-room property that could not be lovelier, or more deeply Parisian. It seems fitting to be in this beautiful little hotel right at this moment, given 2024 will be Paris’s year. Having warmed up in 2023 with the Rugby World Cup, the city is now in full show-off mode for the world’s biggest event, which runs from July 26 to August 11. Paris will be on our television screens a lot in the months ahead, and preparations in the city are widespread, from the opening of new hotels to the double-time rebuilding of Notre Dame and the cleaning of the Seine, with the hope the river that divides the city into Left and Right Banks can be used for swimming events and ceremonies during the games. (This last task is proving Herculean, though, with questions over whether the clean-up will be done in time; the Seine has almost been loved to death.) Many of the city’s most famous buildings have been scrubbed clean, while others are behind scaffolding as restoration teams race to return them to their gleaming best.
Greater Paris, with its jam-packed 12 million inhabitants, has its problems, particularly with homelessness, litter and social disharmony, but in the heart of the city this year I’m betting you won’t see too much of all that.
Hotel Grand Powers is deep in the bosom of central Paris, in what is known as the Golden Triangle, a wedge of streets bordered by the ultra-luxe avenues of Montaigne, Georges V and the Champs-Élysées. If it’s the famous tourist sights of Paris you’re after, then this spot could not be a neater fit; you only need to walk five minutes to find yourself on the world’s greatest boulevard, staring the Arc de Triomphe in the face. Head left on the Champs-Élysées to reach Napoleon’s famous arch, or right for an up-close look at Place de la Concorde with its gold-tipped 3300-year-old Luxor Obelisk, one of France’s many acquired antiquities. The Louvre, meanwhile, is a Métro stop away and the Musée de l’Orangerie is a short walk. Location? This is it.
The hotel has a long history, too. The building was constructed in the mid-1800s during Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s rebuild of Paris, with the hotel opening 1920. An 18-month renovation concluded in 2019, overseen by Alexandra Marang, who owns the hotel with her sister. The rooms still feel fresh and new, blending bespoke furniture inspired by Art Deco and mid-century design with authentic artworks, gilt-edged mirrors, original fireplaces and mod cons including mood lighting, marble bathrooms, oversized beds and crisp linen. Old and new coexist with extravagant ease and there’s a decided sense of quality, luxury and artistry.
A petite wellness zone with spa, Turkish bath and Swedish sauna offers a retreat from city life, if needed.
Grand Powers’ diminutive size – a 50-room property feels tiny in the era of mega-hotels of 500-plus rooms – may make it sound like it doesn’t measure up to its bigger rivals. But the opposite is true. This is a hotel that feels grown up and sophisticated, while remaining intimate and caring. Staff have their eyes on the details; here you are treated as a treasured guest, not a number.
It all adds up to an alluring package. But for me nothing can top the view from my balcony. How many times I have visited Paris with the hope of an Eiffel Tower glimpse from my room, only to be disappointed.
Not this time. The most thrilling moments come after nightfall when the tower lights up the Parisian skyline. Hourly from dusk to 1am, the iconic monument sparkles for five minutes in a show of glittering beauty. Each night and each hour we rush to our balcony to bathe in the twinkly glamour over glasses of champagne.
Small and perfectly formed, this may well be Paris’s most romantic hotel. Perfect for a very special 2024 occasion, and beyond.
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Getting there: Hotel Grand Powers (52 Rue François, 75008, Paris; https://www.hotelgrandpowersparis.com/en/) is a 45-minute taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle airport or a five-minute walk from the George V Métro station.
Must do: What’s not to do in this part of the world? The Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries, the Dior Museum, the Seine, the Place de la Concorde, the Musée de l’Orangerie with its exquisite collection of Monet paintings, as well as so many other keynote attractions, are within walking distance, or one stop on the Métro. Cafes, restaurants and boutiques line the streets and you can simply walk the grand boulevards enjoying the architecture and the gardens. Or you could close the door for a romance-soaked Parisian stay in which you only have to look out the window to enjoy the sights and sounds of this magical city. A croissant breakfast delivered to your private balcony may well be the quintessential French experience.
Eat: We are tempted by the sight from our balcony of Cafe La Belle Ferronnière, a bistro just across the intersection on Rue Pierre Charron, where we eat steak frites and drink Beaujolais while rubbing shoulders with locals. It makes us feel quite Parisian, even in this tourist-orientated area. Onsite, Cafe 52 is a lovely place for continental breakfasts.
Rates: The listed rate is from E720 ($1170) per night but I have seen great deals for rooms from about $700. Try if you can to upgrade to an Eiffel Tower view room, these are very special. Hotel Grand Powers is a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World network (slh.com) and SLH ‘Invited’ members can access great discounts and deals.