In the end, the Bantu warriors gave up as the artistic squat was transformed into a top-of-the-range hotel. In place of these 77 silhouettes drawn by the artist Kouka Since mid-April, business travellers from all over the world have been looking out of the windows of the new Renaissance hotel, enjoying an uninterrupted view of the capital through these famous "sarcophagus windows". A small privilege, given the scarcity of five-star establishments in north-east Paris. All the more so as the new flagship of the Marriott group has risen to the challenge of preserving an area of tranquillity just a stone's throw from the regularly bustling Place de la République...
From the hotel lobby, you are quickly drawn to the shady terrace, dominated by a wall of greenery and nestled next to the Origin restaurant. Here, Bordeaux-born chef Bénédicte Van Der Motte officiates in an open kitchen, with an original challenge: to sublimate the plural egg, through a menu that highlights local produce.
Then it's time to join one of the 121 rooms that climb to the ninth floor of this atypical building, not without enjoying a top-of-the-range coffee or an original cocktail at the Le Martin bar, depending on the time of day. Didier Gomez, the conductor of this makeover, plays an eclectic score without being overly cacophonous. On the bed, African motifs. On the wall, Japanese panels. In the bathroom, a loft-style glass roof. The result: rooms with the air of an artist's studio, a design Tower of Babel that will firmly establish the Renaissance République in this cosmopolitan 10th arrondissement. "Paris Style", "Bobo", "Urban", "Artist's studio", "Skyline": the names of the room categories embody the different facets and styles of the establishment and its surroundings. Not forgetting the Penthouse suite (60 m²), with whirlpool bath and XXL terrace...
But perhaps what sets the new Parisian address apart is the attention to detail that Didier Gomez and those responsible for the project have shown, from the "simple" carpet, specially designed for the Renaissance, to the furniture sourced from the Clignancourt flea market, not forgetting the Tom Dixon light fittings. Made-to-measure is everywhere, even in the mini-bar stocked with Parisian craft beers, specially brewed for the hotel... Everywhere, including on the Renaissance staff, dressed in "Atelier Tuffery" French jeans. Small attentions and great luxury often go hand in hand, so it's a safe bet that this 'new kid on the block' will soon be making a name for itself on the Paris hotel scene.
