The grand hotel of the Left Bank
Strategically located at the Sèvres-Babylone crossroads, and forever part of the history of Parisian life, the Hôtel Lutetia has just celebrated its centenary. An opportunity for Luxsure magazine to delve into the history of this unique Parisian landmark. Elegant and timeless, the largest hotel on the Left Bank remains the supreme reference for a French art de vivre of luxury and refinement.
This human-scale palace boasts 231 rooms, including 60 Art Deco-inspired suites, a fitness center, a Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant, Le Paris, and a popular bar.
The magic of Le Lutetia also lies in its ability to combine the charm of the past with the most modern facilities, and to offer the very latest in technology in a prestigious setting: a high-performance business center managed by a team of professionals, with audio-visual equipment, Internet access, secretarial services, and ten modular lounges for seminars, cocktail parties, fashion shows or private receptions.
In the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where literary and artistic fashions are made and unmade, Hôtel Lutetia has always welcomed numerous personalities seduced by its unique location and glamorous atmosphere. This is an “inhabited” hotel, in the sense that it has a history and memories to draw on. Here, the spirit of the Left Bank lives on – just push open the revolving door and take a few steps into the lobby…
A few historical landmarks
Construction of the hotel began in 1907 and lasted three years, under the direction of two great architects of the time, Louis Hippolyte Boileau and Henri Tauzin. The façade had to set the tone and reflect the prestigious character of the establishment: it was entrusted to sculptor Léon Binet. A detail that never ceases to intrigue tourists: the grapevines and bunches of grapes that adorn it are a reminder that vines once thrived on this side of the Seine too!
Inside, the sumptuous volumes, halls and galleries of a bygone era date back to the hotel’s creation at the beginning of the last century. They retain the opulence and panache of the Belle Epoque. Then came the Roaring Twenties, with their carefree, light-hearted atmosphere. And the lounges of the Lutetia resounded to the steps of Argentine tango dancers…
Today, the hotel retains the Art Deco style that characterizes this period and gives it all its charm. You’ll marvel at the crystal chandeliers in the Salon Président, the stained glass windows with floral motifs adorning the staircases, and the original furniture and wrought iron.
Hôtel Lutetia is not, however, stuck in the past. The management has always sought to incorporate contemporary works into its décor, not hesitating to commission renowned artists. In the Fumoir “The Kitchen”, for example, you can admire a highly original cigar cabinet by sculptor Philippe Hiquily. Shaped like a woman, it contains in its belly a superb selection of modules from different origins. Thierry Bisch’s contemporary paintings also catch the eye, as does the tender series of teddy bears on the hotel’s third floor.
Illustrious guests
Hôtel Lutetia belongs to that category of European palaces that have always been favored by frequent travelers and epicureans. For a day, a month or a year, many of these luxury nomads made it their home. Alexandra David Neel stopped here between two far-flung expeditions. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Matisse and André Gide were all regulars, as was Josephine Baker, who often stayed here with her tribe of children.
Numerous personalities from the worlds of the arts and letters have taken their turn in the hotel’s apartments and salons, not hesitating to say, as Catherine Deneuve did, that “the Lutetia was their second office”. Some remember meeting Pierre Bergé, Françoise Sagan or Bernard-Henri Levy.
The Lutetia observes the discretion befitting a grand hotel when it comes to its celebrity guests. It is known, however, that a 29-year-old officer spent his wedding night there in April 1920. He was the future General De Gaulle, who had just married Yvonne Vendroux!
Another anecdote, more recent this time, concerns the comic Coluche. When he was divorced in the ’80s, he stayed at the Lutétia for a few weeks before returning to his home on Rue Gazan. Furious at seeing his car “parked” in front of the hotel, he would throw yoghurt pots at them from his bedroom window. Exasperated, the government agents finally burst into the hotel to obtain the name of the joker. But to no avail, the management remained silent, true as ever to its “duty of reserve”!
Rooms and Suites
Hôtel Lutetia has 231 rooms, including 60 Junior Suites and Suites.
All rooms are air-conditioned and soundproofed, with marble or tiled bathrooms and hairdryers. They all feature a safe and minibar, color TV with 82 satellite and movie channels representing some 15 countries, and free WiFi. Room service is available 24 hours a day.
Hôtel Lutetia also offers a unique choice of prestigious suites and apartments in the heart of the Left Bank, to suit every need: family stays, honeymoons, romantic getaways.
The extremely spacious suites offer refined comfort. Each has its own unique character, with its own furnishings and decor.
The hotel is proud to offer its guests exceptional rooms such as the Suite Arman, decorated by the sculptor himself in collaboration with interior designer Sybille de Margerie on the themes of music and African art, the Suite Eiffel with its breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower, and the Suite Littéraire, the only one with an office and library.
Entirely renovated in pure Art Deco style, Suite 608, newly christened “La Parisienne”, offers a sensational view of the French capital. Painter Thierry Bisch has chosen to reveal the woman through an essential fashion accessory: the shoe. The “ceremonial” shoe is white with high heels; the “lolita” version is pink with matching varnished nails; and the “bewitching” shoe features red pumps with endless laces. An artistic approach as fine as it is seductive.
A veritable ode to the world of Philippe Hiquily, Suite 704 also boasts a breathtaking view of the capital, and is brimming with works that will leave no one unmoved. The metal sculptures of nude women reveal Hiquily’s sensual universe to perfection: floor lamps, tables and mirrors embrace the woman’s body and blend beautifully into the Suite. Furniture has never been so sensual.
Some of our suites feature bathrooms with hammam showers for an extra touch of well-being. All are the expression of a typically Parisian aestheticism and art of living.
Suites Rotonde
The Suites Rotondes, located on the bow of the building, are the setting for year-round exhibitions by four world-renowned artists. They offer a unique view of Le Bon Marché, Square Boucicaut, the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides. For an unforgettable stay in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, these Suites feature a spacious bedroom, a splendid lounge area, and a cream marble bathroom with shower and bathtub. Each of these Suites Rotondes offers a unique opportunity to discover very different photographic works, according to the imagination of each artist. The hotel’s Girond corner is thus transformed into a veritable Art Gallery, in the direct tradition of the permanent painting and sculpture exhibitions that are the hallmark of the hotel.
The 4 artists have been given carte blanche to express their eye and their imagination, and to let their most significant works speak for themselves, each in a Suite entirely dedicated to daydreaming and travel…
ELLIOTT ERWITT
A member of the Magnum agency for over 50 years, American Elliott Erwitt likes to convey human feelings and emotions through his photographs. He shares these with the guest of the “North America” suite, between smiles and a warm atmosphere.
VIK MUNIZ
Lulled by the very Parisian soul of the premises, Vik Muniz, the Brazilian “illusionist” photographer, whose work is disconcerting in the means it employs (sewing thread, clay, sugar, dust, modeling clay…), offered the “South America” Suite the magnetic presence of a Bardot adorned with diamonds and the gourmet presence of a chocolate Marilyn, the artist’s masterpiece.
KEIICHI TAHARA
The “Asia” Suite reveals itself between light and shadow, materials and textures, under the influence of Japanese artist Keiichi Tahara, whose work plays on contrasts and invites the viewer to melt into the atmosphere of the space.
MIMMO JODICE
Invested by Mimmo Jodice, Italian photographer of social and cultural reality, the Suite “Europe” reflects the artist’s highly realistic work. He shares the secrets of his native Naples with his guests, inviting them to discover the city through its ancient secrets and its best views of majestic Vesuvius.
SUITE OxyGène by Chen Man
Hôtel Lutetia continues to invest in promoting contemporary photographic artists. In 2011, following on from the 4 Rotondes suites in partnership with the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, L’Hôtel Lutetia has teamed up with Galerie LOFT (Paris VI) to create the Suite OxyGène by Chen Man.
A true international icon in the world of fashion, Chen Man today offers us a richer, more complex view of the world, breaking away from the clichés of the fashion world. She explores contemporary themes, always inspired by traditional Chinese elements, which enable her to decipher today’s society from the inside.
Barely 30 years old, she has exhibited in some of the world’s greatest museums: in 2008, her photograph “Astronaut” was chosen as the communication image for the “China Design” exhibition at the V&A Museum in London.
In the OxyGène suite, guests enjoy a unique sensory experience in a world of light and sound, allowing them to recharge their batteries. Thanks to the NightCove system, the quality of sleep is improved and waking up is synonymous with dynamism and vitality.
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