What: The 108-year-old Parisian hotel that’s as much a cultural institution (Picasso and Matisse were among its long-time residents) as a historical treasure (it was co-designed by famed French architect Louis-Charles Boileau, and housed displaced artists and musicians during WWII).
Why: Recently reopened after a four-year-long refurbishment by the Louvre-approved star architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the Lutetia now boasts all the millennial comforts necessary for a luxury hotel (rates start from €693, or S$1,120). Instead of the previous 233 rooms, there are now just 184 larger ones (read: more exclusivity), with the penthouse suites flanked by 790 sq ft-wide balconies. Its popular Lutetia Brasserie is now helmed by three-Michelin-starred chef Gerald Passedat, while those seeking respite can find some at the 7,500 sq ft Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre that boasts a 17m-long pool and plenty of natural lighting. All this along with its artistic legacy: Its Art Nouveau decor from 1910 remains, while other famous guests have included Ernest Hemingway, Serge Gainsbourg, Josephine Baker, James Joyce (FYI, he wrote Ulysses during his stay there) and David Lynch, who’s designed a suite on-site. If the Right Bank has the Ritz and Crillon, this is the bohemian Left Bank’s equivalent that just got even better.
Where: 45 Boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris, France
This story first appeared in Female’s June print issue.
