Paris_ The Collected Traveler - Barrie Kerper [242]
Hôtel Verneuil (8 rue de Verneuil, 7ème / +33 01 42 60 82 14 / hotelverneuil.com), Hôtel Thérèse (5–7 rue Thérèse, 1er / +33 01 42 96 10 01 / hoteltherese.com), and Hôtel Récamier (3 bis place Saint-Sulpice, 6ème / +33 01 43 26 04 89 / hotel recamier.com). Sylvie de Lattre, a stylish and savvy entrepreneur, now owns a trio of hotels that are my current favorites in Paris. The oldest in the group is the Hôtel Verneuil, a cozy twenty-six-room inn just off the rue des Saint-Pères in Saint-Germain that de Lattre acquired in 1997. For De Lattre, it was her first step into the hotel world. She had studied political science, worked in property management, and had lived in England, Hong Kong, and Singapore with her husband, but then realized she wanted to start her own business in hospitality management. She took over the Verneuil, which had changed hands a few times over a thirty-year span, and had it redecorated completely—and, she told me, she’ll likely change it all again in the next few years. The renovation and redecoration were done by Michelle Halard, a well-known designer and decorator also responsible for the interiors of restaurant Pierre Gagnaire and, in Provence, the Hôtel L’Oustau de Baumanière (as well as some dinnerware pieces for the French earthenware company Gien).
Each guest room in the seventeenth-century building is decorated differently and the overall feel is that of a maison particulière, or private home. Most of the guest rooms are small and space is tight—though imaginatively used, as in the narrow closet space on either side of the bed—and some rooms have doors so close together that occupants can’t open them simultaneously. This is a common feature, however, in very old buildings in Europe, as are other quirks, such as uneven steps, which you will also see at the Verneuil, and elevator service begins on the second floor, so your bags must be carried up a flight of steps first. I have no quibble with these features, as they contribute to the overall charm of this lovely hotel, and at any rate the staff here is so accommodating, and so genuinely concerned that you have un bon séjour (good stay), that it more than compensates for any architectural limitations.
Photo Credit bm1.6 (top), Photo Credit bm1.16 (middle, bottom)
Guest rooms combine (mostly) bold colors with printed fabrics; my room was a warm shade of red while a friend’s was a light mint green. The lobby and adjoining salon, with a black-and-white tiled floor, pretty wood paneling, bookshelves, and fireplace, are great public spaces where guests may gather and enjoy glasses of wine or Champagne. Breakfast is served in a subterranean room of bright whitewashed stone arches, another example of a creative use of space. It didn’t take me long to notice that every time I stepped through the Verneuil’s front door I was greeted by a really lovely scent, which was from a customized candle created for the hotel by the skilled perfumist Gilles Dewavrin (gillesdewavrin.net). Happily for me, guests may purchase these candles, and now every time I light one in my home I immediately think of my stay at the Verneuil (I also beg anyone who’s going to Paris to bring me back another one). The Verneuil’s location is superb: ten minutes’ walk from the Musée d’Orsay, ten minutes to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, fifteen minutes to Saint-Sulpice, and two blocks from the Seine, with the Louvre just on the other side of the Pont du Carrousel. Guest testimonials in the livre d’or attest to the hotel’s popularity, so advance booking is advised. Room rates range from approximately 148 to 240 euros.
Hôtel Thérèse is the only inn of the three on the Right Bank, located between the Louvre, the Opéra, rue Saint-Honoré, and the Palais Royal. It’s popular with business travelers (there is a seminar