The Molitor Hotel Paris: 90 years of rule bending style

Looking at The Molitor's hotel's unusual mustard-coloured exterior, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a private sports club affiliated to the nearby home of the French Open tennis tournament. And, if you did think this, you wouldn't be far wrong.

Located in a deceptively nondescript building in a quiet residential area of 16th arrondissement next to Auteil, one of the most expensive neighborhoods west of the city centre, The Molitor was originally purpose built in 1929 as a public leisure centre with two large pools.

When Paris won the bid for the 1924 Summer Olympics, the city accelerated building projects for sporting facilities and within five years an Art Deco icon was born.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

This year, the Molitor celebrates its 90th anniversary and, if walls could talk, these ones would certainly have some juicy tales to recount. Between the between the First and Second World War, the Molitor was the place to be seen. Inaugurated by Johnny Weissmuller, the actor best known for his role as Tarzan in the '30s and '40s, the Molitor attracted well-to-do Parisians who regarded the swimming spot as a kind of Saint Tropez in the city.

Indeed, the building's architect Lucien Pollet christened the complex 'Les Grands Établissements Balnéaires d'Auteuil' which translates as 'The Great Seaside Establishment of Auteuil'.

The building's two-tiered pool was designed to resemble an ocean liner, with its mezzanine floors acting as ship 'decks' and built to support a double 'loop' of cubicles. Paris' beau monde had good reason to flock here all year round. Aside from the large indoor pool which allowed for swimming in the winter months, the main outdoor pool was turned into an ice rink come cold climes. The rink was the largest of its kind in Paris until it was closed in 1970.

From the early 1930s, the Molitor was used for various summer events including aquatic 'galas' during which actresses and dancers would model the latest in swimwear fashion, many of which were rather risqué with cut-out panels. This clearly set a precedent for even more daring designs.

In the summer of 1946, the world's first bikini was unveiled here during the Molitor's annual Fête de l'Eau, a beauty pageant that attracted media attention from all around the world. The two-piece swimsuit designed by Louis Réard was modelled by 19-year-old Micheline Bernardini, a dancer at the Casino de Paris. Original photographs of the moment are featured on the walls of the hotel along with lithographs and original posters from this era.

The hotel's history is a tale of two halves, and it is this that give this luxury spa hotel an edge over other exclusive Parisian establishments. The second part of the story may not convey the same level of glamour, but an avant-garde twist prevails. In 1989, the swimming pool was forced to close following the leasehold's official termination date; with no planning permission or redevelopment plans agreed, the building rapidly fell into a state of disrepair.

Stripped down to its concrete framework, the building was appropriated by Paris' skaters and colourful graffiti soon covered every inch of its walls. Soon enough, the Molitor, now more of a giant bunker than a leisure park, became a hotspot for underground parties and raves. (In April 2001, French Techno collective Paris Heretik organised a rave here that attracted more than 5000 people.)

Today, the Molitor is once again a magnet for chic and stylish Parisians. The hotel runs an exclusive membership scheme for pool and spa access (hotel guests naturally have free use of all facilities) which has given this address a new lease of life as a luxury wellness destination.

As a hotel, the balance between old-time charm and cutting edge cool is masterfully achieved thanks to interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel who recently worked his magic on Rome’s five star Sofitel Villa Borghese.

Luminosity, bright colour-blocking and oodles of contemporary art are his signature. You get the immediate sense of Nuel's bold style as you enter the hotel lobby and are greeted by a graffiti-tagged Rolls Royce once owned by former French football star Eric Cantona. Elsewhere, huge colourful abstract canvases dominate the walls and the place is peppered with unusual sculptures such as Richard Orlinski's Pop Art-style howling wolf in the lobby.

Rooms and suites are reflective of a much quieter elegance for that accomplished 'spa getaway' feel. Think baby soft white linens, slate-grey soft furnishings and lots of natural light.

The redevelopers should be commended for returning the building to its former Art Deco glory and building the accomodation above Lucien Pollet's original complex. The outdoor pool is once again a picture of maritime splendour framed by the original two mezzanine levels of changing cubicles, which now serve as mini 'art cabins' each decorated by a different contemporary artist.

Lovers of urban art will no doubt recognise Thoma Vuille's grinning Monsieur Chat character in cubicle number 188 and there is even a cabin with a secret mural that only reveals itself in the glare of a flashlight (use your phone; we won't say which number).

The hotel's Brasserie Urbaine on the ground level serves delicious light lunches straight to your sun lounger, though don't let all of the worthy sporty stuff put you off trying the moorish mac 'n' cheese with truffle shavings. The Molitor isn’t just for the sunshine months either; it retains its magic all year round thanks to a busy cultural calendar and inventive in-house projects ranging from cookery lessons to art classes for families. The outdoor pool is also heated to 28 degrees all year round, meaning that you can enjoy a warm swim even if you intend to leave in thermals.

The hotel’s high-rated subterranean Clarins spa is also a destination that beauty-conscious Parisians cross town for and offers everything from signature facials to sports massages. For slightly more daring visitors, the spa will be opening a cryotherapy salon in April 2020.

The rooftop bar and restaurant is closed over winter, but come May this is where you can expect to enjoy sweeping views of the Parisian skyline. And what should be your drink of choice here on a balmy summer's night – or any other night for that matter? It has to be a decadent ‘Piscine’ cocktail: a goblet of champagne with half a dozen ice cubes and a little twist of citron pressé, just for that all important 'edge'.

Classic Rooms at Molitor start from £198 per person, per night on a room only basis, city tax excluded. For further information visit: www.mltr.f