Photography by ©Ludovic Balay
I always stay in the 10th arrondissement, mostly for its proximity to Gare du Nord, which makes a quick London return – plus three extra bags of vintage and tax-free treasures – painless and easy. It’s a neighborhood that’s shedding its “gritty” rep and establishing itself among the cool kids with tasting-menu restaurants, minimalist coffee shops, and romantic wine bars.
Photography by ©Ludovic Balay
When I discovered Touriste had had a property in the neighborhood called Hôtel Château d’Eau, I booked immediately. Fifteen minutes after arriving at Gare du Nord, I was walking through its wood-paneled façade, past a lacquered ceramic tiger guarding the entrance like I was stepping through a 70s nightclub.
Photography by ©Ludovic Balay
Inside: leopard-print lamps and mirrored furniture in an atmosphere that felt part François Catroux, part YSL Rive Gauche. The architects, Charlotte Albert and Alexis Lamesta of the exceptionally stylish Necchi Architecture, have a knack for this aesthetic time travel, what they call “a ballet of eras.” They cite the impertinence of Serge Gainsbourg and the magnetism of Yves Saint Laurent as key muses, and you can feel both in the air.
Photography by ©Ludovic Balay
The interior is sensual and mischievous, wrapped in black lacquer and suede. The rooms and small, but with enough personality that makes square footage irrelevant. Glossy mirrored surfaces, carpets mimicking Japanese tatami that creep up onto surfaces, and checkerboard bathrooms that tie everything together with just the right amount of irony.
Photography by ©Ludovic Balay
The overall effect is less “hotel” and more “iconoclastic dandy’s pied-à-terre,” the kind of place where you could imagine Saint Laurent himself smoking a Gauloise while critiquing your outfit.
Hôtel Château d’Eau is, in essence, a love letter to Parisian decadence, filtered through a budget-friendly lens. It’s a little bit glam, and a little bit camp, the rare type of “cheap and chic” that authentically delivers on both.
Hôtel Château d’Eau is, in essence, a love letter to Parisian decadence, filtered through a budget-friendly lens. It’s a little bit glam, and a little bit camp, the rare type of “cheap and chic” that authentically delivers on both.
Photography by ©Ludovic Balay
The Neighborhood
Coffee
Lawasi Coffee Shop
61 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Slowe Wellness House
30 Rue d'Enghien, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Dinner
Bonhomie
22 Rue d'Enghien, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Déviant
39 R. des Petites Écuries, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Restaurant Eels
27 Rue d'Hauteville, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Shopping
Thanx God I'm a V.I.P.
12 Rue de Lancry, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Bobby
89 Rue Réaumur, 75002
Paris, France
Map
Coffee
Lawasi Coffee Shop
61 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Slowe Wellness House
30 Rue d'Enghien, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Dinner
Bonhomie
22 Rue d'Enghien, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Déviant
39 R. des Petites Écuries, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Restaurant Eels
27 Rue d'Hauteville, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Shopping
Thanx God I'm a V.I.P.
12 Rue de Lancry, 75010
Paris, France
Map
Bobby
89 Rue Réaumur, 75002
Paris, France
Map
