INFEATURE: FRENCH CLASSIQUE

FRENCH CLASSIQUE

BLENDING CLASSIC FRENCH ELEGANCE AND COMFORT WITH THE WHIMSY OF ACCESSORIES, CHOUCHHOU HOTEL IS BEYOND JUST A PLACE TO REST YOUR HEAD, IT’S A MECCA FOR THE LIVELY, WRITES CAMERON PINE

If you’re an artistically minded person, love great food and a forever evolving atmosphere of creativity, then a traditional hotel, bar or space to hang just won’t cut it. Chouchou, Paris has been designed with this in mind – to satiate the senses and ignite the spontaneity in all of us.

Testament to the fact that a truly inviting space should not be cold or sterile, Chouchou opens a colloquial world full of fun, kindness and affection for memorable moments in the heart of Paris. It’s a heartbeat with a tempo that never stops.

Sitting on the edge of the hip 9th Arrondissement, with easy access to many of Paris’ main sights, it’s just a five-minute walk to Printemps and Galeries Lafayette Haussmann department stores and two minutes further to Opéra Garnier.

Designed by Elegancia agency – a design firm that specialises in hotel design and management with an inherent passion for individuality and creating fun spaces beyond the ordinary – pick you poison and each room or even spa room is designed to inspire the adventure in all of us.

To date, Elegancia firm has twenty hotels under its belt and is developing more ways to engage guests in an increasingly sterile world of hotel stays. Elegancia’s mission is to create living places that fit a contemporary culture - the art of detail, the art of designing spaces that are unique and to bring often bland spaces to life with interesting materials, art, lighting and texture.

In a development landscape of large glass buildings and the same glam inspired fixtures and fittings, a lived-in individual and rustic vibe that nods to traditional heritage is becoming a lot more valuable. The globalisation and proliferation of large brands and hotel chains has regained the desire for simplicity, of days in the past and against uniformity, and Chouchou does this by the bucketload.

The designer suites pay respect to Serge Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf, with an undeniable music and live stand-up kind of vibe, it’s a hotel of comforts without the almost apologetic luxury vibe some hotels give off. At Chouchou you can be yourself, and know that your room has its own identity that’s unique to your stay.

Rooms and suites fitted with wall to wall bookshelves, a navy and white French palette, record players, maisonette windows and oversized bathrooms feel as though you’re at home and not in a hotel. For those who travel regularly, you will appreciate this.

Topped off by some of the friendliest staff in Paris, an intimate check-in environment and individual baths in the basement that you can choose to suit your tastes - you know you’re in for a good time. There’s an element of fun in the design; access to the reception is through a mirrored hallway and fine details such as the parquet flooring, made up of three different sized shapes, contribute to the overall feel of polish and bespoke design.

A backstage area with three rooms that can be privatised is available for events of all sizes with a customisable layout that can host up to 40 people seated – think stand-up comedy or intimate live music events, or just a gathering for your nearest and dearest.,

Lastly, in the basement, Chouchou’s three pools for hotel guests and external clients can be selected according to what mood you’re in, exclusively via a reservation. With whirlpool tubs, rain showers, relaxation beds, relaxing lightly and cheeky wallpaper, each space can be hired for 90 minutes and is the perfect zone for a couple or even non-hotel guests to reserve and enjoy.

Locals flock to the restaurant bar to enjoy oysters or a cocktail or two. With a jewel covered velvet wall and furnishings, custom chandeliers, artwork and an energy to celebrate, Paris would not be the same without Chouchou’s celebration of all the fun and finer things in life.

For more information visit www.chouchouhotel.com