Hotel Marignan Eiffel | Pierre Yovanovitch Architecture D'Intérieur

SOME HOTELS ARE SHOWY although they have nothing to show that we haven’t seen before. Others belong to big chains that endlessly repeat the same tired formula. Then there are those rare jewels where you are greeted like a friend and welcomed into their private and exclusive realm.

The Marignan Hotel is one of those – bringing a warm and personal dimension to luxury. The friend who greets us is Nathalie Richard, at the helm of this hotel since 2004; she was the one responsible for gradually remoulding its identity into a contemporary residence. A townhouse in the heart of Paris’s sophisticated Right Bank, where guests can drop in for a relaxed drink, meal, or screening, and even enjoy a tailor-made stay.

THE MARIGNAN STARTED LIFE in the 18th century as a private mansion and was used as an embassy before it became a Palace hotel in the 1920s. Nowadays it has regained the air of a private residence. The words ‘May this house be fi lled with real friends’ were inscribed in the 19th century on the grand staircase – and Nathalie Richard seems to have taken the motto for her own. In ten years she has transformed the hotel into a place with real soul, warm and protective, with the help of architect Pierre Yovanovitch.

This was his fi rst hotel commission and Nathalie Richard chose him for his fresh approach and his gift for interpreting Parisian architecture. The pair emphasised the building’s unique features to revitalise the hotel, collaborating with artisans whose work also respects French style codes. Because of the unusual volumes from the fi rst to the seventh fl oors, each room and suite had to be treated as a separate project.

The ground fl oor bar and restaurant now have the air of a spacious salon and winter garden, with the reception area as a huge entrance hall. Custom-made furniture mingles with works of art and designer objects, carefully matched to create a graphic style that exudes a contemporary, natural luxury. This is where one comes to recover from the heady sensations of Paris, rather than take in more.