Hotel Review: La Fantaisie – Grown Up Digs By Martin Brudnizki That Know How To Have Fun

Martin Brudnizki’s debut in the Paris hotel scene delivered everything I had hoped for and more, says Pandora Lewis – it’s the perfect grownup hotel that knows how to have fun.

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Testing Out The Hot New Parisian Hotel, La Fantaisie

STAY

If you’re looking for a five-star boutique hotel in Paris – with dollops of character and charm – make the new La Fantaisie your go-to. I visited this new opening for London Design Week, and how appropriate: located in the heart of hip, design loving Faubourg Montmartre, the interiors are designed by Martin Brudnizki, glitzy interior designer famed for maximalist sparkle.

From first meeting, you’ll fall in love. The communal areas of the hotel are bright, bold and vibrant – favouring whimsical patterning and texture – while also enjoying a dose of nature, looking out to a courtyard garden. Trees feature throughout. The focal point of the dining room, for example, is a mother nature type shrub, and floral wallpapers and upholstery whisper of secret gardens. (This theming taking inspiration from the street it sits on: the hotel is situated on Rue Cadet, named after renowned sixteenth century brothers-slash-gardeners Jacques and Jean).

The bedrooms are also equally bold – albeit a little more pared back. Think crisp white bedding, neutral hessian walls and, of course, a pop of colour so signatory for Brudnizki to accent the room. These spaces also enjoy expertly-curated gadgetry: in-built chargers in bedside tables, a handheld steamer in the cupboard (no crinkled shirts for important meetings), a smart TV you can sync up to your mobile, and more. The extra details are fantastic – for example, bespoke La Fantaisie eye masks sit alongside CBD gummies to make that stay extra memorable. I had the perfect slumber.

EAT

Thinking of the city with the best cuisine in the world, you’d probably pop Paris high on that list. La Fantaisie did not disappoint. Its main restaurant, Golden Poppy, appoints the talented Dominique Crenn as head chef – a homecoming moment for the food whizz after a career largely spent in the US.

The menu here is pescetarian Californian meets French produce. To serve you a taster, my dinner consisted of a red tuna tartar, followed by smoked trout and wakame seaweed butter on rice noodles and rounded off by Citrus Kakigori. Everything I ate was refreshingly clean and fresh – no heaviness – I could have eaten three courses twice over.

The menus are consciously meat-free in line with the hotel’s wider environmental policy, but at no loss. The menus evolve freshly with the season to best use local produce.

Before or after supper – or indeed any time of day – be sure to add a stop at The Bar Sur Le Toit onto your itinerary. My favourite location in the whole hotel, it’s an intimate, playful-but-sophisticated rooftop bar opening onto a terrace that enjoys prime view of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Be sure to try Dominique’s signature Californian house cocktails… I may have sampled them all.

DO

Get out and explore the local area. It’s in a fantastic location in the ninth arrondissement – smashed straight between Pigalle and Grands Boulevards, the hotel sits right on the pulse of Paris’ creative community. From restaurants to galleries, thrift shops and boulangeries, you’ll enjoy a ‘true’ Parisian experience that’s not over-touristed. For me, the must-sees in walking distance included À la Mère de Famille, a historic confectionery shop, and the Galeries Lafayette, for a shopping fix in a beautiful building.

And of course there’s the activities within the walls of the hotel itself. Unwind after a busy day in Paris in La Fantaisie’s spa – the curative power of underground springs can wipe off any stress. The spa is partnered with luxury french skincare brand Holdermie, too, so boasts an impressive list of tailor-made treatments to take your relaxation to the next level.

THE FINAL WORD

Stunning aesthetic hotel without compromise on good food, excellent service and fabulous amenities: a scrumptious taster of the ‘real’ Paris for Parisians.

BOOK

Nightly rates start from €550 per night.  For more information, visit lafantaisie.com.

Pandora travelled to Paris from London via Eurostar for a work-related trip, emitting approximately 5.5g of CO2e. (Source)