Hôtel Original Paris

It all turns on the interpretation of the word “original.” Paris is full of hotels that hang on to every shred of their original décor, but the Hôtel Original Paris is not one of them. Thanks to the work of mad genius designer Stella Cadente, the Original could just as rightly be called the “Hôtel Originality.” Rooms come decorated in themes that recall enchanted forests, a mermaid’s paradise, Alice in Wonderland, with such details as black-and-white striped walls, jellyfish-tentacled lamps, an iron stag’s head. Needless to say, iron stag’s heads, with or without sinister glowing eyes, are typical elements of neither Louis XV nor XIV interiors.

If it sounds like a thoroughly mad fantasy, that’s because it is. Somehow all these bizarre elements, however, come to feel as though they make a magical sort of sense. That enormous standalone tub, after all, is a delight to soak in, and no less so for standing under a wall of iridescent tile or an intricate painted ceiling.

And the Marais, it must be said, makes a certain amount of sense for a hotel like the Original. An aristocratic neighborhood turned decidedly artistic is the perfect place for this sort of expression. At the Ritz, across town, ladies’ drinks are garnished with long-stem roses — here, if the décor is any guide, they’re spiked with something a bit stronger.

• 38 Rooms
• Style: Cutting-Edge
• Atmosphere: Lively
• 1 Guest Review

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