Paris’ Buzzy New Opening: Hotel des Grands Voyageurs Review

Affordable and luxury are not words that typically combine in the world’s most visited city. But Hotel des Grand Voyageurs, one of Paris’ new left bank hotspots, is the perfect spot for a chic city break without breaking the bank. If you’re looking ahead to the best hotels for the Paris Olympics, this could be a contender for gold…

Review: Hotel des Grands Voyageurs, Paris

STAY

The Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs is a 138-room hotel located in the Left Bank Quartier of Saint-Placide in Paris. Designed by the internationally renowned Fabrizio Casiraghi, you can expect style and substance from this surprisingly affordable luxury. Casiraghi has incorporated references to Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s private residences, giving guests a stylish Parisian private residence experience for the duration of their stay. A treat for art and design lovers, (does Paris attract any others?) there are pieces by Klimt and Chagall plus bespoke mirrors by artist Osanna Visconti di Modrone to seek out throughout the property. Guest bedrooms are smart, a decent size (for Paris), oozing understated elegance and charm. The Diptyque amenities really complete the posh Parisian home away from home experience. 

Location-wise, the hotel is located on Rue de Vaugirard in the 6th Arrondissement, a short walk from the historic and buzzy St Germain area on Paris’s Left Bank, where you’ll find bustling bars and popular shopping destinations. The hotel itself is on a quiet corner next to a main shopping street, so it’s not the vibrant Parisian location you’ll find at sister hotel, Hotel Dame Des Arts.

But this is the swish grown up sibling of Dame Des Arts, which opened last year to much fanfare about its flashy rooftop bar featuring unmatched 360-degree-views of Paris. Things are quieter and more understated down in the 6th. There is little foot traffic passing the hotel, even on a weekend, though the hotel itself is doing its best to bring the vibes with a cosy speakeasy bar in the basement (Poppy) boasting outstanding cocktails and laid-back beats from a live DJ every Friday and Saturday night.

The young, trendy Parisian set may not have flocked south of the river yet, but you’ll find them amongst the hotel’s staff, fitting in perfectly with the fashionable surroundings and elevating the experience from hip to homely. Ready with a warm welcome, a timely joke and a cool recommendation, they’re amongst the most accommodating in the city (happily packaging up croissants and making coffee-to-go if you’ve slept through breakfast, again).  

EAT 

The aforementioned hotel breakfast is simple and satisfying, a sizeable buffet offering the usual spread of hot and cold options, fruits and cheese and meat alongside much-more-appealing stacks of fresh pastries and breads. 

The hotel is home to a brasserie restaurant, Grands Voyageurs, the fashionable centre point of the hotel, which offers a transatlantic dining experience with a blend of French and American influences. Meanwhile the clandestine bar, Poppy, provides an intimate underground setting for late-night cocktails. 

Dinner at Hotel des Grand Voyageurs is hearty French bistro-style cuisine served in effortlessly cool surroundings on polished black tables lit by candlelight. It’s the perfect date spot, quiet and cosy in a plush velvet corner booth or a great setting for a relaxed meal with friends after a day shopping on the Rue de Sèvres. Food-wise, comfort food is the order of the day, the lobster roll and fries alongside a glass of expertly-matched organic white wine hitting all the right notes. There’s nothing too adventurous on the petit menu, but the sea bream carpaccio is a standout appetiser, and while there’s little on the menu for vegans save the cauliflower steak, cheese lovers will want to arrive hungry to make the most of the indulgent raclette mac and cheese.

The Brasserie Bar at Hotel des Grand Voyageurs

The cocktails are what really necessitate a visit to this left bank newcomer, with imaginative mixes served up alongside well-executed classics making an after-dinner drink downstairs a must. The house signature, the lemon drop, is the perfect Paris tipple: sharp and sweet and moreish enough to require a second visit.     

DO 

There are a smattering of notable churches within walking distance, plus Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a 15-minute walk away with its historic hangouts, chic bars and restaurants. The hotel’s closest streets are popular shopping boulevards, where you’ll find a pleasing mix of big names and independent boutiques set on the streets behind, but by evening the streets are blissfully quiet making the hotel a rare spot in Paris that can almost guarantee you a quiet night’s sleep, whichever floor you’re on. 

If you’re in the mood to explore, however, you can opt for the Rive Gauche Summer Package. Carefully curated by the hotel team, it’s a comprehensive guide to the best kept secrets in the area, from the finest restaurants to the most coveted picnic spots. It even encompasses a dedicated map with special recommendations – and electric bike rental, so you can whizz around like a true Parisian.

THE FINAL WORD

Cool interiors, warm staff: the petite rooms and slightly-out-of-the-way location can be overlooked for the stunning design, impeccable service and a single sip of the sweet lemon drop.  

BOOK

Rooms start at €300 (approx. £258) per night. The Rive Gauche Summer Package starts at £385 for two nights (two adults on a B&B basis) and is available to book from 20 June to 22 September 2024. | hoteldesgrandsvoyageurs.com