Revisiting the Belle Epoque

The Hotel Paris Opéra was one of the most fashionable establishments in 1920s Paris and counted many famous figures amongst its guests, including writer, actor and director Jean Cocteau and aviator Charles Lindbergh, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Opened in 1927, the hotel recently underwent a complete makeover and is now part of the Millennium chain.

The project was led by the French interior architecture and design firm Studio CAID, which focused on the lobby, bar and restaurant, as well as the guest rooms and suites.

Franck Cousin, the firm’s founder, worked hard to recreate the atmosphere of the early twentieth century, when the hotel attracted many famous guests due to the quality of its hospitality and the beauty of its architecture, with rooms overlooking Boulevard Haussmann.

The hotel’s central location close to some of Paris’s most popular attractions, including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and the Champs Elysées, makes it ideal for both leisure and business travellers.

“We designed all details of the project with great care,” Franck Cousin said. “Some of the furniture items are original Années Folles, while others are in Art Deco style. The lobby’s eye-catching glass dome also evokes an early twentieth-century atmosphere.”

He also confirmed the focus on finishes: “We chose the quality of Marca Corona ceramic tiles for the renovation of this high-end establishment. The hotel has several restaurants, lounge bars and relaxation areas, as well as a large spa and 160 suites, for which we chose sophisticated decorative textures for the materials and surface coverings.”

For the bathrooms in all of the suites, Motif Extra and Deluxe marble-effect porcelain tiles were chosen for their durability and ease of cleaning.

The white Motif Extra floors contrast with the intensity of the Deluxe dark-coloured wall tiling and the coloured panels in the washbasin area that are reminiscent of the Belle Epoque style.

Thanks to the veins, colours, tactile effect and visual appeal of Calacatta marble, the combination of materials chosen for the surface coverings creates a timeless atmosphere while maintaining a level of performance compliant with the strictest international standards.