Ooh la lovely! Inside one of Paris’s hottest new hotels – with the chic interiors of the property, near the Champs-Elysees, inspired by an acclaimed American designer
If there were an Oscar for headboards, the one from our fifth-floor suite at the Norman Hotel in Paris would be a contender.
Formed from sumptuously polished wood that gently curves around the bed, with a centerpiece of stitched brown padding and sockets and lamps on either side incorporated into the design, I bet the judges would be somewhat enchanted.
And that’s not all that will hold their gaze, as this recently opened hotel – a stone’s throw from the Champs Elysées and part of the Small luxury hotels of the world portfolio – is a paradise for aesthetics, its appearance is an enchanting mix of French and American creativity.
The architect behind the design is Paris-based Thomas Vidalenc, with the hotel’s name referring to his source of inspiration, the American modernist Norman Ives.
Ives (1923-1978) was a Bauhaus-influenced painter and Yale professor of graphic design, with the hotel claiming that his “preference for color, simplicity, functional and harmonious forms inspired the special atmosphere of the Norman Hotel.”
What does that mean for guests?
Ted Thornhill checked into the chic Norman Hotel in Paris, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World portfolio. He is full of praise for the headboard of his room (above)
Eiffel in love: Norman Hotel ‘is a paradise for aesthetics, it looks an enchanting mix of French and American creativity’. Upstairs is the living room area of Ted’s suite
They enter a five-star resort, populated by vintage sofas, geometric prints and American paintings from the 1970s.
But the vibrant interior design also eclectically incorporates objects unearthed from antique shops, Brazilian flair and Art Deco style – the stunning light above our bed, for example.
On paper it sounds like a potentially risky mismatch, but these elements have been brought together by a trained eye. And it works, without sacrificing comfort.
Our bed is ridiculously luxurious and the bathroom is a class act, with light brown vertical tiles, a high-quality rain shower and a freestanding bath big enough to swim laps in.
We also love the fashionable gray sofa in the living room and the balcony that runs the length of the room.
What doesn’t belong at the Louvre? The architect behind the design is Paris-based Thomas Vidalenc, with the hotel’s name referring to his source of inspiration, the American modernist Norman Ives.
The ‘tres-chic bar’ on the ground floor, which ‘also serves as a lobby lounge and where you will find wonderfully soft, blanc-mange-like sofas’
The hotel’s Thai restaurant, Thiou, named after the chef who manages it, Apiradee Thirakomen, aka Thiou, who made his name on the Parisian hospitality circuit as chef of the legendary nightclub Les Bains Douches
There is also plenty to do downstairs.
Not least the tres-chic bar on the ground floor, which doubles as a lobby lounge and where you’ll find wonderfully soft, blanc-mange-style sofas and thickly sculpted wooden bar stools with sides and backs that curve into thick loops.
Step past a theatrical curtain and you enter the hotel’s Thai restaurant, Thiou, named after the chef who runs it, Apiradee Thirakomen, aka Thiou, who made a name for himself on the Parisian catering circuit as chef of the legendary nightclub Les Bains Douches.
“Guests enter a five-star retreat populated by vintage sofas, geometric prints and American paintings from the 1970s,” writes Ted
Ted writes: ‘Returning to the discreet stone hotel is like stepping into your own Parisian pied-a-terre’
The 37-room hotel features an underground spa (above)
The food in her Norman Hotel enclave is very pleasant – she cooks cod to tender perfection – the wines are eminently drinkable and the service, while not very warm, is polite and efficient.
Breakfast is served at the same location and is decent – I can vouch for the continental spread and the quality of the coffee.
The 37-room hotel also has underground temptations, in the form of a spa with pool and sauna, fresh and new for 2024.
Outside, the temptations of the French capital are just moments away, with the hotel located on the corner of Rue Balzac and Rue de Châteaubriand, a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe and the boutiques of the aforementioned Champs Elysées.
Returning to the discreet, stone-clad hotel is like stepping into your own Parisian pied-a-terre.
And one that is suitable for the front page of an interior design magazine.