Château Voltaire Paris review: a very chic stay with an arty edge
This is a five-star hotel that has inveigled Paris’ beau monde
If walls could talk, they still wouldn’t at Château Voltaire. The hotel is far too polished and exclusive for tittle-tattle. Established by Thierry Gillier, the founder of French fashion label Zadig&Voltaire, this quiet and sophisticated 31-room five-star address in the 1st arrondissement has an air of calm refinement that encapsulates what we know and love about Parisian chic.
The French would define the aesthetic as “entre le bon sens et le bon goût”, that sweet spot between good sense and good taste, but there’s more to it than this. Thoughtful curation and a dash of decadence tilts Château Voltaire’s well-studied style towards an allure that’s achingly cool.
Why stay here?
Interiors demonstrate elegant restraint with a touch of bohemian flair thanks to trendy Parisian design studio Festen and Franck Durand whose creative agency is behind the campaigns of cult French brands Sandro and Isabel Marant. Durand is also married to fashion icon and former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief, Emmanuelle Alt, which suggests he is well versed in the art of living well.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
The hotel’s comfy salon sets an arty tone: it’s both minimalist and perfectly on point with its Parisian bourgeois charm. Abstract paintings in soft muted tones hang alongside elegant mid-century furniture bedecked with well-chosen antiques.
A snapshot of this area might include a stone bust of a Jean Cocteau-like character, a rare Slim Arons photobook, various knurled earthenware vases and a collection of rustic faience plates, no doubt hand-selected from an eclectic mix of auction houses, luxury boutiques and Paris’ famous Marché aux Puces.
This breezily stylish decor extends to the bedrooms, where the hotel’s love affair with its Baroque leaf patterned carpet continues. Actress Julia Fox was recently pictured sprawled across this plush golden and green clad floor looking suitably sex-kittenish in a PVC outfit.
Beds are dressed in beautifully pressed white linen, caramel-coloured cushions and soft, fuzzy mohair spreads. The highlight has to be the pantry-like mini bar replete with luxury French gourmandises and treats, including boutique candles.
White marble bathrooms with double sinks are big enough to dress à deux, or maybe even à trois. Model Laetitia Casta, French songstress Clara Luciani and fashion designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin have all been recent guests, so best pack a suitably chic wardrobe.
The food and drink
Château Voltaire doesn’t have to try very hard to attract a young fashionable crowd. First, there’s its Brasserie Emil, full every night of the week and helmed by a young handsome chef who has charmed the city’s beau monde with his langoustine ceviches on homemade sourdough and fragrant risotto served in individual Mauviel copper pots. Everything is delicious and the ambience is always buzzing.
Most people begin the evening at the hotel’s bijou La Coquille d’Or bar, which, as the name suggest, has plush interior and seductive ambience as if you are ensconced in a magical clam shell clad in dark wood and lashings of plush velvet.
What sets it apart?
Breakfast at Château Voltaire is a fine dining experience in itself. Various courses arrive in dinky and delicious portions – imagine a scoop of crushed avocado on a thin disc of toast, finessed with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. You’ll have room for lunch, which matters in Paris.
Hotel guests are also entitled to exclusive use of the hotel’s spa for an hour. Book your slot and use the small pool and sauna without interuption. As you might imagine, this is a big hit with couples.
Out and about
Château Voltaire is in the geographical heart of Paris, at walking distance from The Tuileries Garden, Garnier Opera, the Louvre and the Palais-Royal. The luxury shopping haven of Saint-Honoré is also a stone’s throw away.
What to know before you book
If you intend to eat at Brasserie Emil, reserve your table well in advance, especially on weekends. Those who really want to splash out can rent the hotel’s top floor apartment complete with garden terrace designed by Louis Benech, arguably France’s most famous living landscape designer who has designed green spaces the world over including Versailles’ water theatre grove and Diane von Furstenberg’s rooftop garden in Manhattan.
Château Voltaire, 55 Rue Saint-Roch, 75001 Paris, France; chateauvoltaire.com
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Love design? These hotels are ready to startle your eyes and drop your jaw.
The Week Recommends A treasure trove of curios and resplendent decor await
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Biltmore Mayfair review: a quintessential slice of luxury London
The Week Recommends This swanky retreat in Grosvenor Square blends old-world glamour with modern comforts
By Caroline Dolby Published
-
Langdale Chase Hotel: a cosy nook in the Lake District
The Week Recommends This Victorian villa has breathtaking views and expansive gardens
By Natasha Langan Published
-
Monet and London: an 'enthralling' exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery
The Week Recommends 'Misty, mysterious' paintings of London are a 'revelation'
By The Week UK Published
-
Ramdane Touhami's Hotel Drei Berge
The Blend A passion project in the Swiss mountains sees creative visionary Ramdane Touhami achieving new heights
By Delilah Khomo Published
-
Inside Chopard's hotel on Place Vendôme
The Blend Swiss jewellery maison Chopard unveils its new jewel, an ultra-exclusive Parisian hotel that elevates the art of hospitality
By Felix Bischof Published
-
Timeless hotels for old-school elegance
The Blend From Jamaica to Rome, we check into incredibly atmospheric landmarks
By Delilah Khomo Published
-
Hoteliers who host
The Blend Sublime design gets personal at these luxury properties with personality
By Delilah Khomo Published