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Review: Bulgari Hotel, Paris

The Hotel Bulgari has landed in Paris with aplomb

By Mary Lussiana | 2 years ago

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‘Hôtel Bulgari: Le grand chic Italien débarque a Paris’ screamed the headlines of Le Figaro as the latest outpost of this sleek hotel chain took up its position on Avenue George V in the City of Light. Mary Lussiana checks in at Hotel Bulgari to see what all the fuss is about.

The Ultimate Paris Travel Guide: See, Eat, Do, Stay

Review: Bulgari Hotel, Paris

STAY

Offering 76 rooms and suites, including the exceptional Bulgari Penthouse whose 400 square metres of minimalist chic are dwarfed by its 569 square metres of lush gardens (think lemon trees and lavender, pergolas, wooden furniture and lawn all in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower), the Hotel Bulgari has landed in Paris with aplomb. Designed by the Italian architectural studio of Antonio Citterio Patricial Viel, who have been responsible for all the Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, this Parisian hotel reveals a new warmth with low ceilings, a mix of muted and earthy colours and inspired lighting creating a seductive atmosphere entirely appropriate in such a city. Details impress, from the local artisanal craftsmen who created the crackled wood walls in the Bar to the rose gold and yellow silk carpet by Altai of Milan in the Lounge, surrounded by ceramics from Gio Ponti to the evocative black and white photograph of Sophia Loren which greets guests on arrival. Above rooms in creams, hazelnut and coffee with beds draped in the covetable Bulgari cashmere blankets come with minibars housed in travel trunks and marble-clad bathrooms illuminated by a glass art piece engraved with the Bulgari Serpenti Constellation motif, which has been used as the logo for the Paris hotel.

DO

It’s Paris so it will be time rather than possibilities which limits you. Currently the superb Morozov Collection, brimming with masterpieces by many Russian artists from the turn of the 20th century and Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin et al is being exhibited at the Louis Vuitton Foundation and well worth the trip alone. For lovers of earlier art, there is a Botticelli exhibition at the Jacquemart-Andre Museum running until late January. Both need advance booking. Shopping has just got even better with the return of the beloved Samarataine department store, gleaming from its multi-million-pound restoration.

EAT

Before you head to the restaurant, stop at the Bar with its black granite floor and backlit ivory onyx counter to have a perfect Bulgari Martini. At Aperitivo hour, this comes accompanied by crostini, antipasti and a series of delectable bite sized tastes encouraging a longing to linger. In the pleasingly intimate restaurant, whose garden will come into its own in the warmer months, dishes come from the talented Italian Chef Niko Romito. Responsible for the gastronomic concept of all the Bulgaria Hotels & Resorts, his Reale Restaurant in Abruzzo has three Michelin stars. Here, from the comfort of bespoke Antonio Citteri sofas, try his homemade spinach and ricotta tortelli with butter and sage and the oven baked black cod with spiced tomatoes and potato cream. But don’t miss the scrambled eggs with freshly grated truffle at breakfast or Romito’s signature crusty bread.