When it opened in early 2015, the Melia La Défense was the first hotel to open in the Paris business district for more than a decade. The development of the hotel offer in La Défense is set to accelerate in the coming years. Supported by the Établissement public d'aménagement de La Défense Seine Arche (EPADESA), the focus this time is not on the esplanade, like the Melia, but near the Grande Arche and the future U Arena, a rugby stadium for Racing 92, concert hall and venue for events and conferences.
The public institution has just announced the development of the Tour des Jardins de l'Arche, scheduled for completion in 2022. This 200-metre-high skyscraper designed by architect Jean Mas (Ateliers 2/3/4/) will house 700 rooms operated by the IHG group's Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and Crowne Plaza brands. Predominantly a hotel, the tower will also include offices, a business centre, co-working and fab-lab spaces, as well as shops, restaurants and relaxation areas.
With its rounded facades, echoing the design of the U ARENA opposite, the Jardins de l'Arche Tower will blend naturally into the landscape of La Défense," says Jean-Claude Gaillot, Chief Executive Officer of EPADESA. What's more, the presence of a world-renowned hotel group is an undeniable asset. This substantial new hotel offering will provide the area with unrivalled capacity for leisure and business travellers.
Closer to home, EPADESA has backed the CitizenM hotel project, due to open later this year. Located on the Jardins de l'Arche and accessible from the forecourt of the U Arena, the establishment of the Dutch lifestyle chain will offer 170 rooms. The 32.5-metre-high building stretches across a façade that resembles a suspended panoramic screen, with the RIADH architects (De La Hoz - Cottrell, Michelangeli) having conceived it as a veritable design object.
