Sombre, seductive Paris hotel with warm interior evoking a jazz age vibe

Hotel Rochechouart / Paris / France

It is very difficult to write about a Pigalle hotel without referencing classic Baz Luhrman movie, Moulin Rouge. So instead of fighting it I will just surrender. This hotel has all the elements for you to have your own Ewan+Nicole moment. It breaths jazz age area with a hint of the Great Gatsby, and although I know this is not exactly the same era as Moulin Rouge, I don’t care. There is something that inspires you to leave for the moment and party like there is no tomorrow when staying here (we didn’t, but I am sure many do).

Hotel Rochechouart (yes, the name is a mouthful) is located in the centre of Pigalle in the 9th arrondissement, right at the foot of the Montmartre. It is one of 7 Paris hotels belonging to the Orso Hotel Group, created and run by couple Anouk and Louis Solvent. This building was constructed in 1929 with its time typical Art Deco facade. When Anouk and Louise bought this building and wanted to transform it into a hotel, they commissioned local design bureau Festen to do the job. They kept a lot of the original features such as the floor mosaic in the bar, the wonderful staircase and the classic glass elevator. The design is very dark and subtle with deep greens, rich mole browns and warm terracottas. All in all there are 106 rooms, spread over 8 floors where the roof top bar is one of the best features of this hotel. Here you have an amazing view of Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur.

I had asked for a room as high up as possible and I was glad I did, since our room had a small balcony overlooking the roof tops of Paris. If there was one place that really made me feel like a struggling Parisian artists during the turn of the century, it was here. Spent a lot of time out here imagining how such a life would be, dreaming away the hours.

Welcome to Hotel Rochechouart, located in the heart of Pigalle, Paris.

The exterior is laden with Art Deco details.

The entry hall and reception area with its original floor tiles.

I am in love with this reception desk. The dark wood and how it is built into the wall.

It is so great to see how the wood from the reception continues into the lounge where this piece is the main player.

M is heading to our room after having explored the streets of Paris.

Our snug little room. The rooms are not big, size-wise but very well planned.

A warm welcome with homemade Madelene cookies.

The color in our room was a rich and luxurious mole brown

The bathroom was matching the room with its terracotta colored tiles. The bath products are made in Grasse, especially for the hotel

It doesn’t get more Paris than this. This is the view from our room of the rooftops of Paris. Felt like bursting into song, Ewan MacGregor style.

The view from the roof-top terrace of Montmartre and the majestic Sacré-Cœur.

This mosaic is original from when the building was constructed in 1929.

The restaurant that is very popular with both hotel guests and the locals.

One of my favorite features of the hotel is this hole-in-the-wall oyster and Champagne bar, right next door. Later in the evening this place was packed with people spilling onto the street.

My favorite part of town is Canal St. Martin, which is a short walk from the hotel. I love this green oasis with all its bars, restaurants and cafés.

Can’t go to Paris without at least walking past the Eiffel Tower. Love how it is partly covered by clouds when I snapped this photo.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…want to stay at a hotel with a clear design idea, fitting the local area like a glove. If you like your hotel to be cozy, warm and welcoming and sit in an area where the bar- and restaurant options are endless, then this could be your hotel when going to Paris.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the roof top terrace. In a city like Paris it is still fairly unusual with hotels that have a roof top bar where you can enjoy the views of the city and have your own Ewan+Nicole moment (yes, a Moulin Rouge reference for you)

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to go hang in the oyster bar next door to the hotel. It is a great place to drop in for a glass of bubbles and mix with the locals that frequent this place ”en masse”. It was so great jus to stand in the middle of the crowd and listen to the conversations going on around me. Easy to pretend I was also one of the locals.

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