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Inaugurations n°62P A R I S N E W S // A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

Paris doesn’t slow down in summer – on the contrary, it’s a time of change, transformation and innovation inthe city. In the news this month, among other things: two hotels have been entirely renovated, the Maison Blancherestaurant now occupies one of the loveliest terraces in Paris, Poilâne has opened a new Right Bank bakery inthe Marais, and the Vélib’ bike hire scheme is even more convenient to use.

Accommodation //The Saint James Paris: Bambi Sloan brings British pizzazz toher revamp of an exclusive Paris mansionHalfway between a chateau and a family mansion, the hotel has been revamped by imaginative interior decorator

Bambi Sloan into a bastion of avant-garde style. “Crazy chic” is the leitmotif of the decor, particularly in the rooms,

which are a joyous blend of panther-print carpets, bold colours and flea market finds. Balloon-shaped arbours in

the garden recall the past: the first hot-air balloons took flight from the chateau’s grounds! The 350 m2 expanse

of gardens is now open to the public from 7pm every evening: the perfect opportunity for fine food enthusiasts to

savour chef Cyrille Robert’s excellent cooking, which gives a fresh twist to traditional French cuisine for a truly

epicurean dining experience in a magnificent, out-of-the-ordinary and eternally trendy setting.

SAINT JAMES PARIS43 avenue Bugeaud, Paris 16thTel +33 (0) 1 44 05 81 81www.saint-james-paris.com

Renovation of the Source HotelThe Source Hotel has reopened after a major makeover to modernise its 34 rooms. Providing a tranquil,

comfortable stay and an attractive price-quality ratio were the key aims of this transformation. The hotel’s six

floors all have customised decor in different colours, with a focus on contemporary design. Amenities now include

free Wi-Fi Internet access everywhere in the hotel.

The hotel is handily located for business travellers near the Porte de Saint Ouen, and the comfortable suites

sleep several people – the ideal option for large families.

SOURCE HÔTEL135 avenue de Saint-Ouen, Paris 17thTel +33 (0) 1 46 27 73 67www.sourcehotel.fr

Gastronomy //The terrace of the Maison Blanche: a one-of-a-kind view overParisThis restaurant on the upscale Avenue Montaigne was already on the foodie radar for its exclusive location and

sophisticated cuisine. It will now also be known for its beautiful one-of-a-kind roof terrace, built like a bridge

suspended from the roof of the Théâtre des Champs Élysées. Perched between ground and sky, the Montaigne

terrace juts out over the Seine, offering diners a breathtaking view of Paris going from the Invalides dome to the

Eiffel Tower.

Chef Sylvain Ruffenach’s imaginative menu includes Provençal-style grilled squid, Wagyu beef carpaccio served

with rocket salad and Parmesan cheese, John Dory fish with green asparagus, veal tenderloin with thyme, lemon,

morel mushrooms, peas and broad beans, Malaga wild strawberries and vanilla blanc-manger.

P1PARIS NEWS // THE PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU N°62 // INAUGURATIONS // AUGUST 2011

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The 40-cover Terrasse Montaigne at the Maison Blanche offers a unique vista of the city from the rooftop of

a historic monument designed by Auguste Perret and inaugurated in 1913. This stylish new dining venue is a

must-do for visitors keen on a Paris lunch or dinner with a view.

MAISON BLANCHE15 avenue Montaigne, Paris 8thTel +33 (0) 1 47 23 55 99www.maison-blanche.fr

Cuisine de bar: Poilâne opens a Right Bank branch A new Poilâne outlet opened in the Marais this summer. A clever blend of a traditional bakery and a bar, Cui-

sine de bar has been designed by architects Hélène and Olivier Lempereur, who have previously designed out-

lets for Pierre Hermé and Pierre Marcolini, two household names for foodies worldwide.

Set up in 1932, Poilâne has acquired legendary status. A simple letter carved into the top crust makes a Poi-

lâne loaf instantly recognisable, and sandwiches made from this sliced sourdough bread are a staple feature of

authentic bistro menus. Poilâne bread has always been made using levain, a raising agent, and hand-kneaded

dough baked in wood-fired ovens fuelled by sawmill off-cuts and reclaimed wood. Ever since 1932, Poilâne has

used just four ingredients to make its bread – water, stone-ground flour, Guérande sea salt and levain. A lump

of remaining dough from one batch is used as a starter for the next.

Bread and bakery products are, of course, the headline products at Cuisine de bar; what makes this location

special is that it is also open until 10pm to serve customers quick, simple meals.

POILÂNE – CUISINE DE BAR38 rue Debelleyme, Paris 3rdTel +33 (0) 1 44 61 83 39www.poilane.fr

Transports //Improved Vélib’ services four years from its launchThe very first Vélib’ bikes made their appearance on Paris streets in July 2007. Four years on, more than

a hundred million trips have been made – proof of the popularity of the self-service bike hire scheme, with a

fleet of 20,000 bicycles available to rent at 1,800 docking stations in Paris and 30 surrounding towns.

The scheme has been improved this summer to provide even more rental options to suit all users and budgets.

An online booking service has been set up to enable users to buy their subscription easily and securely

even before arriving in Paris: just select the starting date and time and pay with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard

or American Express). No more wasting time at a station trying to figure out instructions!

The rates remain extremely affordable: €1.70 for a one-day subscription and €8 for a week’s subscription. The first

30 minutes of each new trip are always free of charge, making the Vélib’ a cheap and convenient way to get around

Paris and the suburbs. The bilingual (French and English) Vélib’ website clearly explains all the subscription and

rental options for these bikes, which have become part and parcel of life in Paris.

Tip: There is a detailed map of the neighbourhood behind each Vélib’ station – handy even for people on foot!

VÉLIB’http://en.velib.paris.fr

Shopping //Cult brand A.P.C. opens in a very stylish new locationRue Royale, a legendary Paris street, now hosts a new A.P.C. shop. “Atelier, Production et Création”, a small

French brand set up in 1987 by Jean Touitou, is a familiar name from Tokyo to New York, known in particular for

its high quality jeans. Loyal customers from around the world are devoted to the brand, which has never strayed

from its original principle – simple fashions consisting of wardrobe basics with pared-down cuts.

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A short walk from Place de la Madeleine, the small shop has wooden decor by Laurent Deroo, in perfect har-

mony with the brand’s minimalist ethos. The full range of collections is on display here – menswear, womens-

wear, shoes, accessories and even a line of laundry care products, launched in partnership with the brand of

natural cosmetics Aesop.

A.P.C.23 rue Royale, Paris 8thTel +33 (0) 1 44 51 98 57www.apc.fr

Stop press //The gardens of the Archives Nationales, spreading over 8,000 m2, are now open to the public, making it possible

to walk directly through Rue Vieille du Temple, Rue des Francs Bourgeois and Rue des Quatre Fils.

GARDENS OF THE ARCHIVES NATIONALES87 rue Vieille du Temple, Paris 3rd60 rue des Francs Bourgeois, Paris 3rd11 rue des Quatre Fils, Paris 3rd

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POILÂNE – CUISINE BARMAISON BLANCHE

JARDINS DES ARCHIVES NATIONALES

SAINT JAMES PARIS

A.P.C.

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SOURCE HÔTEL

Coming soon //Culture- Partial closure for the re-organization of the impressionist galleries at the Musée d’Orsay, by Jean-Michel Wilmotte

(from December 2009)

- Redevelopment work at the Palais de Tokyo by architects Lacaton and Vassal to create 10,000 m2 of space

devoted to contemporary art (2010-2012)

- Renovation work at the Musée de l’Air et de l’espace (June 2011-2014)

- Closure of the Musée de l’Institut du monde arabe for redevelopment work. Part of the collections will remain

on show (full reopening September 2011)

- Launch of the Louvre online reservation system (beginning 2012)

- Renovation of the Musée Rodin; museum to remain open (early 2012 – end 2013)

- Opening of the new areas at the Grand Palais, including the Alexandre-III rotunda, the Salon d’honneur and a

700 m2 exhibition gallery (spring 2012)

- Reopening of the Musée Galliera after renovation (spring 2012)

- Opening of the Fondation Jérôme-Seydoux-Pathé for cinema, built by Italian Renzo Piano at 73 avenue des

Gobelins (spring 2012)


- Renovation of the Monnaie de Paris by Philippe Prost with the opening of shops and creation of a 500 m2 zen

garden, and a cafe and gourmet restaurant by Guy Savoy (2012)

- Reopening of the Musée de l’Homme after renovation (2012)

- Reopening of the Musée Picasso after renovation (2012)

- Opening of the new Islamic Arts department in the Cour Visconti at the Louvre after covering of the courtyard

by architects Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti. 13,000 works will be on show in 4,600 m2 of new spaces (2012)

- Opening of the Institut des Cultures d’Islam in two venues, on Rue Stephenson and Rue Polonceau, in the

Goutte d’Or district of the 18th arrondissement (September 2012 and September 2013)

- Reorganization of the Grand Palais with the incorporation of the Galeries nationales and the creation of a shop,

a cafe and a bookshop (2012-2017)

- Opening after renovation and extension of the old cinema Le Louxor in the 10th arrondissement (2013)

- Opening of the Louis-Vuitton foundation for contemporary art (September 2013)

- Creation of a 250-seat theatre under the Carreau du Temple (November 2013)

- Creation of a Paris Philharmonic concert hall by architect Jean Nouvel in the park of La Villette including a

2,400-seat symphonic concert hall (March 2014)

- Renovation of the Musée de Montmartre and the museum gardens (2014)

- Opening of the Cité de l’Économie in the former Gaillard townhouse, a listed building dating to 1882 in the

17th arrondissement. The Cité will have a library devoted to economics, a 120-seat amphitheatre, a restaurant

and a 2,500 m2 exhibition space for displays on the economy, currencies and finance (end 2014)

- Opening of the Maison de l’Histoire de France within the premises of the Archives Nationales (2015)

- Reopening of the Musée Ernest-Hébert (date to be defined)

Urbanism- Renovation of the Gare de Lyon with the creation of a 4,400 m2 glass roof for businesses, working rooms and

waiting areas (2010-2012)

- Transformation of the district Les Halles (2010-2014)

- Opening of the Cité de la mode et du design with a concept store (800 m2), three restaurants and a picnic area,

a nightclub and events spaces (autumn 2011)

- Launch of the self-service electric car hire scheme Autolib’ with 3,000 vehicles in 1,000 stations in and around

Paris (1st December 2011)

- Conversion of the former Art Deco Mutualité theatre into a business and congress centre by Jean-Michel Wilmotte

(end 2011)

- Opening of Cinélilas, a cinematographic complex with park in the east of Paris (end 2011)

- 10,000 m2 extension of the André-Citroën park and installation of fountains, refreshment areas and merry-go-rounds

(2011-2012)

- Renovation of the Gare d’Austerlitz with new areas to circulate (2011-2013)

- Construction of the Phare tower at La Défense – a 349-metre-high tower block with panoramic restaurant by

American architect Thom Mayne (2011-2016)

- Creation of green spaces and pedestrian areas along a 2.3 km stretch on the Left Bank and Right Bank of the

Seine and opening of a floating swimming pool moored in front of the André-Citroën park (September 2012)

- Extension of Line 4 of the Métro to the south of Paris in Montrouge (end 2012)

- Creation of 12 hectares of green space and sports facilities at the Hippodrome d’Auteuil (2012)

- Redevelopment of north-east Paris, between Porte de la Chapelle and Porte de la Villette, creation of the

Évangile station on RER line E, green spaces, a university campus, businesses and services (2012-2016)

- Reopening of a public transport network on the Seine, with three Voguéo river shuttle lines circulating to and

from Suresnes, Maisons Alfort/Vitry sur Seine, the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides and the Musée d’Orsay (summer 2013)

- Creation of 1.5 km of green spaces and natural features open to the public along part of the former inner circle

railway line in the 15th arrondissement (2013)

- Extension and modernization of the Hippodrome de Longchamp (2013)

- Expansion of the Parc Clichy-Batignolles – Martin-Luther-King (2013)


- Re-design of the Beaugrenelle commercial centre with 120 shops, a cinema, a Costes restaurant and a

8,000 m2 -terrace (September 2013)

- Redevelopment of the Champ-de-Mars (2014)

- The re-design of the Île Seguin by Jean Nouvel, with a centre for music, a centre for contemporary art, art galleries,

guinguettes (outdoor cafes with dancing) and a 4-hectare garden (2015)

- Construction at La Défense of the two 323 metre-high Hermitage towers, with function room, auditorium, contem-

porary art gallery, shops, **** hotel with 210 rooms, conference centre and restaurants (2016)

- Construction at the Porte de Versailles of the 180-m high Triangle tower block with panoramic lift, panoramic

viewpoint, panoramic restaurant and cafe and park of 8,000 m2, a project by Swiss architects Herzog & de

Meuron (2017)

- Extension of the tramway to the east of Paris, from Porte de Vitry to Porte de la Chapelle (2012), then as far

as Porte d’Asnières (2017)

Leisure- Creation of a swimming area on the Daumesnil Lake in the Bois de Vincennes (2013)

- Opening of a brasserie and a luxury suite on the rooftop of the Moulin Rouge (2013)

- Renovation of the Molitor swimming pool, a gem of Art Deco from 1929 and creation of a 98-bedroom ****

hotel with two restaurants and a balneotherapy centre (end 2013)

- Creation by Italian architect Renzo Piano of a 14-room multiplex cinema with 2,800 seats in the future Claude-

Bernard neighborhood of the 19th arrondissement (end 2013)

- Reopening after renovation work of the Parc zoologique de Paris in the Bois de Vincennes with 1,000 animals,

130 species, organized into 6 “biozones” including a 2,000 m2 aviary and a 100 m-long greenhouse (spring 2014)

- Extension and modernization of the Roland-Garros tennis stadium, with a project for a 15,000-seater centre

court with mobile roof, to host the French Open, the Masters Series and the Fed Cup (2015)

- Opening at the Cité des Sciences of a 16-room digital complex with restaurants and shops (date to be defined)

Accommodation- Closure of the Marignan Champs Élysées**** for 18 months for a full renovation (since April 2011)

- A year’s closure of the Passy Home** for a full renovation (since June 2011)

- Opening of the Élysée Secret, a boutique hotel in the heart of the Golden Triangle in the 8th arrondissement,

**** category requested (end of August 2011)

- Opening of the Marcel hotel, a small 35-bedroom hotel opposite the Gare de l’Est, *** category requested

(September 2011)

- Opening of the Bellevue Montmartre, a 20-room hotel with a Belle Époque theme between the Moulin Rouge

and the Sacré Cœur Basilica, *** category requested (autumn 2011)

- Opening of a 23-bed hotel, Jules et Jim, at 11 rue des Gravilliers in the Centre Pompidou district (autumn 2011)

- Opening of the hôtel O, previously hôtel des Victoires**, decorated by Ora Ïto, 19 rue Herold in the 2nd arron-

dissement (autumn 2011)

- Reopening of the Mac Mahon hotel near the Arc de Triomphe after a full renovation, **** category requested

(November 2011)

- Opening of the W Paris Opéra hotel by the Starwood group in the district of the department stores (December 2011)

- Opening of a charming 23-bed hotel in the former Grand Contrôle mansion house, a building designed by Jules

Hardouin-Mansart in 1684 and belonging to the national Versailles estate (end of 2011)

- Renovation and modernization of the Bois de Boulogne camping site with the installation of caravans and

cottages, and extension of 410 tent pitches (2011-2012)

- Extension works of the Plaza Athénée***** in 5,500 m2 of annexed buildings, with no closure of the hotel

(2011-2013)

- Conversion by Japanese architects Sejima and Nishizawo of the former La Samaritaine department store into

a luxury hotel, Le Cheval Blanc, with 80 rooms and suites overlooking the Seine, a conference centre and shops

(2011-2014)


- Reopening of the Prince de Galles**** hotel, bar and restaurant after full renovation and creation of a new

suite and fitness space (summer 2012)

- Opening of the Art hôtel Eiffel, a small 35-room designer hotel in the 15th arrondissement, *** category requested

(mid-2012)

- Opening by the Astotel Group of the 123 Sébastopol, a cinema-themed hotel with a swimming pool and private

cinema, facing the Gaîté Lyrique in the 2nd arrondissement, **** category requested (September 2012)

- Opening of a 330-bed youth hostel with meeting rooms and auditorium, Rue Pajol in the 18th arrondissement

(end 2012)

- Opening of a 56-room Buddha Bar boutique hotel with luxurious colonial-style decor, a spa and a restaurant,

on Rue d’Anjou in the 8th arrondissement, **** category requested (2012)

- Opening of a second 500-bed Christopher’s Inn hostel opposite the Gare du Nord (2012)

- Opening of a Holiday Inn opposite the Gare du Nord (2012)

- Opening of a Hilton Garden Inn and a Hampton by Hilton at Paris – Charles de Gaulle airport (2013)

- Opening of a Radisson Blu at La Défense, **** category requested (2013)

- Transformation of the Kléber International conference centre into a 200-bed palace by the chain Peninsula

H o t e l s

(2013)

- Opening of a fifth Marriott hotel in Paris, near Porte de Saint-Cloud (2013)

- Opening of a hotel in the heart of the Thoiry zoological garden, with 25 rooms fully accessible to persons

with disabilities (end 2013)

- Opening of a **** hotel with 343 rooms at La Défense (2014)

- Opening of a 149-room hotel designed by architect Manuelle Gautrand as part of an entirely eco-friendly project

in the 19th arrondissement, *** category requested (2014)

- Opening of a hotel with 500 to 600 rooms as well as a long-stay transfer centre with accommodation at Paris –

Charles de Gaulle airport (end 2014)

- Creation of Villages Nature, an ecological leisure complex by Disneyland® Paris/Pierre & Vacances, with

1,700 cottages over 259 hectares, 9,000 m2 water park and lagoon heated all year round (2015)

- Opening of a small luxury hotel by Gérard Depardieu with seven guest rooms at 95 rue du Cherche-Midi in the

6th arrondissement (date to be defined)

Gastronomy- A year’s closure of the Café de l’Homme at Trocadéro (February 2011-summer 2012)

- Opening of an organic fast food at La Bourse by Marc Veyrat (September 2011)

- Opening of two restaurants at L’Orée du Bois, Porte Maillot, a former pavilion in the Bois de Boulogne, renovated

by the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte (2011)

- Opening of an Angelina restaurant/tea room in the Hôtel de Sully, a 17th-century historic building in the heart

of the Marais (end 2011)

- Reopening of the Ciel de Paris at the top of Montparnasse tower after full renovation (April 2012)

- Opening of a bar and restaurant in the Maison des Célestins on the bank of the Seine in the Marais as part of

the renovation of the riverbanks (date to be defined)

Shops

- Opening of a Banana Republic boutique at the Champs-Élysées roundabout (end 2011)

- Opening of a Marks and Spencer concept store at 100 Champs-Élysées (end 2011) and a second store at the

Carrousel du Louvre (date to be defined)

- Renovation of the Galeries Lafayette to mark the 100th anniversary of its historic dome, with the refurbishment

of the Lafayette Gourmet food store and the opening of a new fine dining restaurant (2012)

Trends n°62P A R I S N E W S // A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

Public toilets in Paris. More than 28 million visitors come to Paris each year. The city’s positiveimage is largely dependent on ensuring their comfort and wellbeing, and public toilets, whether paying or freeof charge, are one of the several elements that contribute to a comfortable stay. Where can public toilets be found in the city? When are they open? Are they accessible to disabled people? Here is an overview of the city’sprivately run and public toilets.

Public toilets: Free and eco-friendlyParis public toilets have been revamped. The city’s 400 automatic public toilets, designed by Patrick Jouin for the

City of Paris and operated by Decaux, were redesigned in 2010 to make them safer, more comfortable to use, more

hygienic and more eco-friendly. Each time the toilets are used, the toilet bowl and the floor are automatically

cleaned, dried and disinfected. A manually operated emergency exit, which can be opened by firemen, for

example, is accessible from the outside. Emergency lighting and a fire extinguisher have been installed to

optimise safety. Comfort has also been enhanced. The doors open and close automatically and the toilets are

heated in winter and equipped with coat hangers, a mirror, a washbasin and even background music. In a move

towards sustainable development, the new automatic toilet uses 30% less water than the previous model. The

lighting is natural – it is supplied by a well of light placed on the roof. It is equipped with a motion sensor and

therefore only works when the toilet is occupied. The entire electricity supply comes from renewable energy

sources (wind, solar, hydraulic and biomass). The locations of these free toilets, which are open from 6am to

10pm, have also been changed. More free toilets have been added to the major tourist areas (Invalides,

Montmartre Hill, coach drop-off points etc.) as well as food markets and taxi stands. Besides the automatic public

toilets in Paris, there are free public toilets in all the sightseeing spots and public spaces in the city open to

visitors (museums, historic monuments, parks etc.). No fewer than 95 Paris parks and gardens have free toilets,

open during park opening times. The City of Paris has also made public toilets open from 10am to 12pm and 1pm

to 6.15pm available to users near shops and public and tourism establishments.

FREE PUBLIC TOILETS IN PARIS

244 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st

Place du Châtelet, Paris 1st

Place du Palais-Royal, Paris 1st

2 quai du Louvre, Paris 1st

15 boulevard Saint-Denis, Paris 2nd

5 place de la Bastille, Paris 4th

Place Edmond Michelet, Paris 4th

Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, Paris 4e

Place du Parvis Notre-Dame (next to the Charlemagne statue), Paris 4th

Square de la tour Saint-Jacques (in front of 6 rue Saint-Martin), Paris 4th

47 boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 5th

149 boulevard Saint-Germain (Saint-Germain car park), Paris 5th

Avenue Joseph Bouvard, Paris 7th

Avenue George V, avenue Montaigne, Paris 8th

Avenue des Champs-Élysées (the Espace Cardin side), Paris 8th

Avenue Marceau, avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris 8th

38 boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9th

P1PARIS NEWS // PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU N°62 // TRENDS // AUGUST 2011

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53 boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9th

Boulevard des Italiens, boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9th

Avenue Ernest Renan (Metro: Porte de Versailles), Paris 15th

Avenue du Président Wilson (Metro: Trocadéro), Paris 16th

34 boulevard Barbès, Paris 18th

1 rue Lamarck, Paris 18th

Full list of automatic public toilets on www.paris.fr

Disabled access, a priority in ParisThe 400 automatic public toilets in Paris have been designed to make them accessible to disabled people. They

can be used by people in a wheelchair and are equipped with a grab bar, as well as recorded information and

signage in Braille for hearing and visually impaired visitors. French law has made it compulsory for all public

spaces to be made accessible to the disabled, and this is increasingly the case in Paris museums and monu-

ments open to visitors. Some public gardens are equipped for use by people in wheelchairs, such as the Jardinde l’Intendant (Paris 7th). Toilets with disabled facilities are located in the grounds of the nearby Invalides

hospital, the Parc du Champ-de-Mars, the Jardin des Champs-Élysées (toilets accessible from the Théâtre Renaud-

Barrault), the Parc de Bagatelle and the Parc Monceau. The RATP has also undertaken a renovation of some of

the public toilets on its network to make them accessible to disabled people. Four new toilets were installed

in 2010 on metro lines 14 (Olympiades and Bibliothèque-François-Mitterrand stations), 13 (Argenteuil) and 7

(Villejuif-Louis-Aragon). On the Réseau Express Régional (RER) train network, 25 toilets have been renovated

including 7 in Paris, at the following stations: Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile (Salle Friedland), Auber, Châtelet (2 new

toilets), Gare de Lyon, Nation and Luxembourg.

JARDIN DE L’INTENDANT53 boulevard de la Tour-Maubourg, Paris 7th

JARDIN DES CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES10 avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris 8th

PARC DE BAGATELLERoute de Sèvres à Neuilly, Paris 16th

PARC DU CHAMP-DE-MARS2 allée Adrienne Lecouvreur, Paris 7th

PARC MONCEAU35 boulevard de Courcelles, Paris 8th

Details at www.paris.fr and www.parisinfo.com

Stylish, comfortable paying toiletsAutomatic public toilets in Paris are free to use, as are toilets in bars, restaurants and fast food outlets for clients

of these establishments. There are also paying options, some of which are worth going to even if you don’t

really need to use them! The basement public toilet at the Madeleine is one such. Built in 1905 in Art Nouveau

style, these well-kept cabins with an attendant have ceramic walls and wooden doors with stained glass. The

Point WC toilets are much more recent but just as pleasant to use, and their number is growing continuously.

The first one was installed on the Champs-Élysées in 2006, followed by toilets in the Printemps Haussmann

department store, the Carrousel du Louvre and the Passy Plaza shopping centre in the 16th. These “wellbeing

stations” are nothing short of state-of-the-art. Point WC, a company specializing in designing and installing public

toilets, takes pride in creating designer toilets, each with customised decor and background music, which are


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POINT WC CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE

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8thPUBLIC TOILET AT THE MADELEINE

kept spick and span even though some of them are used by up to 50,000 visitors per month. They cost from

€1 to €1.50 to use. Interior designer Florence Gonot has decorated the latest Point WC toilet in a haute couture

theme – sheer luxury!

POINT WC CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE99 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st

POINT WC GALERIE ÉLYSÉES 26 26 avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris 8th

POINT WC PASSY PLAZA 53 rue de Passy, Paris 16th

POINT WC PRINTEMPS HAUSSMANN 69 boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9thPrintemps de la Mode (1st floor); Printemps de l’Homme (3rd floor, open on Saturday only); Printemps de la Maison (1st floor)

PUBLIC TOILET AT THE MADELEINEPlace de la Madeleine, Paris 8thStairway leading down from the courtyard to the right of the church

Redoing your bathroom?If a visit to one of these designer public toilets has sparked a wish to redo the bathroom at home, Paris has

any number of specialist bathroom retailers, starting with department store BHV, which has a huge section

devoted to bathroom fittings from all the top brands. The clever Point WC concept includes a shop within each

of these wellbeing spaces, where you can browse and buy a selection of bathrooms fittings and accessories – from

furniture and mirrors down to rolls of toilet paper. Their website features a much wider selection of products, all

of which are directly inspired by the design of their Paris public toilets.

BHV55 rue de la Verrerie, Paris 4thTel +33 (0) 1 42 74 90 00www.bhv.fr

POINT WCwww.pointwc.com

POINT WC PASSY PLAZA

POINT WC GALERIE ÉLYSÉES 26POINT WC PRINTEMPS HAUSSMANN

Written by Yves Dougin / MeMo

In the spotlight n°62P A R I S N E W S // A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

The 1st arrondissement: Classic Paris. The French nation was built in part within thisstretch north of the Seine, extending from the Pont au Change to the Tuileries. Small in size but big on prestige,the 1st arrondissement spans four districts and is home to some of the world’s most beautiful monuments.

P1PARIS NEWS // PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU N°62 // IN THE SPOTLIGHT // AUGUST 2011

Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, the historic baseThe Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois district spreads from the western tip of Île de la Cité to the Jardin des Tuileries,the biggest, oldest garden in Paris. Fluctuat nec mergitur. (“She is battered by the waves, but does not sink”)

was the motto of the boatmen’s guild which had its headquarters here during the reign of Hugh Capet, and the

phrase subsequently became the city’s own motto. The district surrounds the Louvre, whose buildings house asignificant portion of French history. Originally built around 1190 by Philip II, ‘Augustus’, as a fortress to contain

the royal treasure before the monarch left to join the Crusades, the Louvre is now devoted entirely to culture,

displaying Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848, treasures of Antiquity and, since 2005, Islamic art. The

Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, after which the district is named, adjoins the Louvre and can be visitedoutside service times. The grounds of the Jardin des Tuileries host three major Paris museums: the Musée del’Orangerie, devoted to Monet’s Nymphéas and the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collections, the Musée du Jeu de Paume, which exhibits contemporary art and photography, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs with itssignificant fashion and textiles collection as well as a more recent section devoted to advertising. Île de la Cité

in the eastern part of the district also has some emblematic historical buildings such as the Conciergerie, thefirst royal residence in the city and later a forbidding prison under the Terror. It is a stone’s throw from Sainte-Chapelle, a masterpiece of the Gothic style with richly hued stained glass windows built by St Louis within thePalais de la Cité, now the Palais de Justice law courts.

The Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois district is well supplied with hotels. One of the most symbolic ones, the

Meurice*****, beautifully evokes the refinement of the 18th-century French art of living and is ideally locatedfacing the Jardin des Tuileries, sheltered from the bustle of Rue de Rivoli. Other accommodation landmarks are

the Saint James & Albany**** a few metres away near the Louvre and the Brighton****, the early 19th-centuryhotel built by Lord Egerton where the rooms offer splendid views of the Tuileries, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

At the eastern end of the district a short walk from Île de la Cité, the Best Western Ducs de Bourgogne**** hasclassic decor and an excellent location between this central area and the teeming Les Halles district.

For visitors wishing to remain within range of some of most beautiful monuments in Paris at lunchtime, the CaféMarly provides a stylish setting to enjoy a meal sitting under the arches and looking out at the Louvre and thepyramid. The Grand Louvre has modern decor and serves sophisticated, inventive cooking. It is the perfect placeto meet up after a visit to the museum or a shopping spree in the Carrousel du Louvre, open from Wednesdayto Monday, with 60 shops and 12 restaurants.

CULTURE AND HERITAGE

CONCIERGERIE2 boulevard du Palais, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 53 40 60 80http://conciergerie.monuments-nationaux.fr

ÉGLISE SAINT-GERMAIN-L’AUXERROIS2 place du Louvre, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 60 13 96www.saintgermainauxerrois.cef.fr

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JARDIN DES TUILERIES Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st

MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIEJardin des Tuileries, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 44 77 80 07www.musee-orangerie.fr

MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS107 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 44 55 57 50www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

MUSÉE DU JEU DE PAUME1 place de la Concorde, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 47 03 12 50www.jeudepaume.org

MUSÉE DU LOUVRE 99 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 20 53 17 / +33 (0) 1 40 20 50 50www.louvre.fr

SAINTE-CHAPELLE 4 boulevard du Palais, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 53 40 60 80http://sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr

ACCOMMODATION

BEST WESTERN DUCS DE BOURGOGNE****19 rue du Pont-Neuf, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 33 95 64www.paris-hotel-bourgogne.com

HÔTEL BRIGHTON****218 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 47 03 61 61www.paris-hotel-brighton.com

LE MEURICE***** 228 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 44 58 10 10www.lemeurice.com

SAINT JAMES & ALBANY****202 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 44 58 43 21www.saintjamesalbany.com

CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS

CAFÉ MARLY99 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 49 26 06 60

LE GRAND LOUVREUnder the Louvre pyramid, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 20 53 63www.eliancemusees.com

PARIS NEWS // PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU N°62 // IN THE SPOTLIGHT // AUGUST 2011

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SHOPPING

CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE99 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 43 16 47 47www.carrouseldulouvre.com

All our other suggestions Full list on http://en.parisinfo.com

Les Halles, former “belly” of the French capitalLes Halles district to the northeast of the 1st arrondissement was long known as the “belly of Paris”. The

wholesale marketplace of past times has given way to the Forum des Halles, which is currently being renovated(the shops remain open throughout the renovation period). The area is home to superb historical monuments such

as the Église Saint-Eustache, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture built between 1532 and 1633, and the Tour Saint-Jacques and its square. This medieval bell tower was one of the many starting points for pilgrims walking St James’ Way to Compostela. And, skirted by a large square on the edge of Les Halles, the Fontaine des Innocentsis a pleasant spot for a drink or a meal.

Bars and restaurants of every stripe abound in this district, carrying on its food-focused tradition, and a bustling

food market takes place every Thursday and Sunday on Rue Montmartre. Restaurants such as La Poule au Pot(open until 5am) and Pied de Cochon, which serves traditional French cooking 24 hours a day, are a throwbackto the area’s colourful past, when wholesale traders had to be fed at any time of day or night. Another typically

Parisian palate-pleasing pastime can also be enjoyed here: tasting fine wines and the produce of the great French

vineyards at Ô Chateau wine bar, which can be rented for private functions. Les Halles follows close on the heels of Saint-Germain-des-Prés as a jazz lovers’ district. The area boasts several

established jazz clubs including the internationally renowned Duc des Lombards and the Sunset-Sunside, knownfor its cutting-edge programming. Opera and dance fans will enjoy the eclectic and often big-name productions

at the Théâtre du Châtelet, where operas, ballets and concerts are staged all year round in a sumptuous ItalianRenaissance-style building.

Accommodation options in the district are wide and varied. The Citadines Prestige Les Halles*** aparthotelprovides 189 furnished renovated apartments for 1 to 4 people just above the Forum – the ideal option for families

wanting plenty of space and a home away from home. Located some distance away from the busy centre of

Les Halles, the peaceful Relais des Halles** has cosy rooms with English-style furnishings.


ÉGLISE SAINT-EUSTACHE 2 rue du Jour and place René Cassin, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 36 31 05www.saint-eustache.org

FONTAINE DES INNOCENTS Place Joachim du Bellay, Paris 1st

THÉÂTRE DU CHÂTELET1 place du Châtelet, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 28 28 28www.chatelet-theatre.com

TOUR SAINT-JACQUES Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris 1st

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ACCOMMODATION

RÉSIDENCE CITADINES PRESTIGE LES HALLES***4 rue des Innocents, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 39 26 50www.citadines.com

RELAIS DES HALLES**26 rue Pierre Lescot, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 33 68 76www.relaisdeshalles.com

RESTAURANTS

AU PIED DE COCHON6 rue Coquillière, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 13 77 00www.pieddecochon.com

LA POULE AU POT9 rue Vauvilliers, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 36 32 96www.lapouleaupot.fr

Ô CHATEAU – PARIS WINE TASTING & WINE BAR66 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 44 73 97 80www.o-chateau.com

JAZZ CLUBS

DUC DES LOMBARDS42 rue des Lombards, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 33 22 88www.ducdeslombards.com

SUNSET-SUNSIDE60 rue des Lombards, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 26 46 60www.sunset-sunside.com

SHOPPING

FORUM DES HALLESRue Rambuteau, rue Pierre Lescot and rue Berger, Paris 1stwww.forumdeshalles.com


The Palais-Royal, seat of power and cultureMarked off by Rue Saint-Roch to the west, Rue du Louvre to the east, Rue des Petits-Champs to the north and

Rue de Rivoli to the south, the Palais-Royal district is, among other things, home to the main welcome centre

of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. This singular area facing the Louvre is a genuine village within thecity where government institutions have rubbed shoulders with places of leisure for more than four centuries.

Built in 1622 by architect Jacques Lemercier for Cardinal Richelieu, the collection of buildings houses various

government bodies in different wings: the Constitutional Council, the Council of State and the French Ministry

of Culture and Communication. Enclosed within a magnificent architectural ensemble featuring a series of contem-

porary sculptures by Daniel Buren and Pol Bury, the Palais Royal gardens make for a pleasant stroll. Opening

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on to the esplanade formed by Place André Malraux and Place Colette, with a metro entrance redesigned by artist

Jean-Michel Othoniel to mark the centenary of the Paris metro, the Comédie-Française gives the site a sedate finishing touch. This shrine to French theatre was founded in 1680. The nearby Théâtre du Palais-Royal is an evenmore venerable venue: opened in 1641, it staged Molière plays and Italian comedy from 1662 and 1673. These

prestigious venues host an eclectic programme all year round. There’s something for children too: the Musée enHerbe at the eastern end of the area hosts a variety of unusual events and exhibitions created especially forchildren aged two and up.

The upscale hotels in the Palais-Royal district are the perfect starting point for a stroll through fashionable,

cultural and artistic Paris. Built in 1840 on the site of a townhouse that formerly belonged to Louis XIV’s personal

doctor, Hôtel Molière*** has quiet, cosy rooms, while Normandy Hôtel**** near Faubourg Saint Honoré is aromantic setting for a Paris stay, with beautifully restored Napoleon III furnishings. A more offbeat option, located

along the street from which it draws its name, is Hôtel Thérèse***. Within walking distance of the Comédie-Française, the hotel has 43 recently renovated rooms featuring original contemporary decor.

The obvious dining option for gourmets is Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin’s restaurant the Grand Véfour, if onlyto sample his incomparable artichoke tart served with caramelised vegetables and almond sorbet. Fish and

seafood fans will enjoy the menu offerings and the cosy atmosphere at the Vin et Marée Saint-Honoré restaurant.Le Ragueneau is located in the townhouse that was home to Molière’s troupe before it moved to the Palais-Royal,and every feature of the decor in this restaurant serving traditional French fare recalls the great playwright. There

are live jazz concerts on Friday evenings.


COMÉDIE FRANÇAISEPlace Colette, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 8 25 10 16 80 (€0.15/min)www.comedie-francaise.fr

JARDINS DU PALAIS-ROYALPlace du Palais-Royal, Paris 1stwww.monuments-nationaux.fr

MUSÉE EN HERBE21 rue Hérold, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 67 97 66www.musee-en-herbe.com

PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU 25 rue des Pyramides, Paris 1sthttp://en.parisinfo.com

THÉÂTRE DU PALAIS-ROYAL38 rue de Montpensier, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 97 59 76www.theatrepalaisroyal.com

ACCOMMODATION

HÔTEL MOLIÈRE***21 rue Molière, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 96 22 01www.hotel-moliere.fr

HÔTEL THÉRÈSE***5-7 rue Thérèse, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 96 15 22www.hoteltherese.com

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NORMANDY HÔTEL****7 rue de l’Échelle, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 60 30 21www.hotel-normandy.com

RESTAURANTS

LE GRAND VÉFOUR17 rue de Beaujolais, Paris 1stTel +33 (0)1 42 96 56 27www.grand-vefour.com

LE RAGUENEAU202 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 60 29 20www.ragueneau.fr

RESTAURANT DU PALAIS-ROYAL38 rue de Montpensier, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 97 59 46www.theatrepalaisroyal.com

VIN ET MARÉE SAINT-HONORÉ165 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 86 06 96


Place Vendôme, a setting for luxury and refinement Place VendÙme, after which this upscale area is named, is a perfect example of the great architectural features

of classical French urbanism. Designed in 1699 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, it is considered one of the most pres-

tigious city squares anywhere in the world. The eight-sided square is a harmonious ensemble of 19 townhouses,

which provide an elegant backdrop to the centrepiece, the VendÙme column, raised by Napoleon to celebrate

his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. The Ministry of Justice occupies the Bourvallais townhouse at No. 13, and

the Gramont townhouse next door now hosts the celebrated Ritz*****. With its majestic lobby, legendary barand reputed fine food restaurant, the Ritz is a one-of-a-kind hotel where Coco Chanel lived for nearly 35 years.

The Vendôme district is pleasant to wander through, and prime shopping territory – all the major French luxury

brands are to be found here. Renowned leather goods manufacturer Camille Fournet, an exotic leather specia-list, has had a shop here since 1945. The brand is also a favourite with the top watch manufacturers for the

quality of its leather watch straps. Hat designer Laurence Bossion has the perfect hat for any head, whetherchosen from a selection of top brands or made to measure. Colette, the uber-trendy concept store completewith an exclusive water bar, is located on Rue Saint-Honoré and has a faithful clientele of early adopters in

search of one-off products.

While the Place Vendôme district is dotted with some of the most upmarket dining options in Paris, such as

chef Alain Dutournier’s famed Carré des Feuillants, it also has offbeat restaurants with reasonably priced menus.One such is L’Écluse Saint-Honoré, a wine bar on the pretty Marché Saint-Honoré square – a good place tosavour a glass of Bordeaux and a traditional French dish, cold meats or cheeses with friends. The Lescureserves French specialities with a focus on Limousin cooking in a typical Parisian bistro atmosphere.

Accommodation options are equally varied, to suit all budgets. Superbly located at one corner of Place Vendôme,

the Mansart**** resembles an elegant, refined old Parisian mansion. Further to the east, near the Église Saint-Roch – one of the biggest churches in Paris with a remarkable Baroque façade – Hotel Saint-Roch** has rooms withexposed beams and plenty of old-fashioned charm. The Londres Saint-Honoré**, located in a large 17th-century

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bourgeois mansion, recalls the Paris of Louis XIV’s time and the Revolution. Another hotel in a beautifully restored

17th-century mansion is the Relais Saint-Honoré***, located across the road from Colette for a style-consciousstay.


ÉGLISE SAINT-ROCH296 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1st

ACCOMMODATION

LONDRES SAINT-HONORÉ**13 rue Saint-Roch, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 60 15 62www.hotellondressthonore-paris.com

LE RELAIS SAINT-HONORÉ***308 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 96 06 06www.relaissainthonore.com

MANSART****5 rue des Capucines, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 61 50 28www.paris-hotel-mansart.com

RITZ PARIS*****15 place Vendôme, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 43 16 30 30 www.ritzparis.com

SAINT-ROCH**25 rue Saint-Roch, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 60 17 91www.hotelsaintroch-paris.com

RESTAURANTS

CARRÉ DES FEUILLANTS14 rue de Castiglione, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 86 82 82www.carredesfeuillants.fr

ÉCLUSE SAINT-HONORÉ34 place du Marché Saint-Honoré, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 96 10 18www.leclusebaravin.com

LESCURE7 rue de Mondovi, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 60 18 91

SHOPPING

CAMILLE FOURNET3 rue d’Alger, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 40 20 14 04www.camillefournet.com

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COLETTE213 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 55 35 33 90www.colette.fr

LAURENCE BOSSION10 rue Saint-Roch, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 42 96 80 50www.laurencebossion.com


Plus...Bridges across the riverParis bridges are an integral part of the city’s landscape, and some of the best-known ones are located in the

1st arrondissement. Connecting the Ile de la Cité to the Les Halles district and the pet shops along the Quai de

la Mégisserie, the Pont-Neuf is, despite its name, the oldest bridge in Paris. The Pont des Arts, features in a songby Georges Brassens; its nine cast-iron arches connect the Institut de France to the Louvre, which was known

as Palais des Arts during the First Empire. The Pont Royal, built in 1632, is the third-oldest bridge in Paris afterthe Pont-Neuf and the Pont Marie.

The 1st arrondissement seen from the SeineFor those who prefer a view from the water, Seine cruises provide a pleasant and unusual way to admire the

most beautiful monuments in Paris. Commentated cultural cruises are available on the Vedettes du Pont-Neufboats, moored at the western tip of Île de la Cité. For a romantic outing, Paris en Scène, a boat owned by

the Compagnie de la Seine moored at the foot of Pont Saint-Michel, runs several one-hour dinner cruises everyevening with passengers comfortably seated in club chairs, and a gastronomic dinner cruise on Sunday evenings.

The chairs are placed facing the windows for an evocative view of Paris by night.

COMPAGNIE DE LA SEINE – PARIS EN SCÈNEPont Saint-Michel, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 41 41 90 70www.paris-en-scene.com

VEDETTES DU PONT-NEUF Square du Vert Galant, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 46 33 98 38www.vedettesdupontneuf.com

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Buzz on meetings n°62P A R I S N E W S // A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

Around the Bassin de la VilletteInfrastructure suited to business tourism is easily available in various spots in Paris, on the banks of the Seine

in the French capital. Formerly the hub of river traffic in Paris, the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondisse-

ment is the largest water feature in Paris. Located a mere 15 minutes from the city centre and a few dozen

metres from the Bassin, the Holiday Inn Paris La Villette**** has 182 rooms and more than 1,000 m2 of flexible

corporate event organization space. Another hotel in the district, Forest Hill Paris La Villette***, provides conference rooms and equipment suited to seminars and business meetings as well as direct access to the

Bassin. For larger events requiring venues for more than 500 people, both hotels are ideally located for the

Centre des congrès de la Villette adjoining the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie de Paris. This conference

centre has two amphitheatres with a capacity for 400 and 900 people respectively, and several mezzanine meeting

spaces over three storeys for informal networking. It is an exceptional location for an annual general meeting,

congress or seminar, and can be privatized for a memorable post-meeting cultural event or gala evening.

CENTRE DES CONGRÈS DE LA VILLETTE Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie 30 avenue Corentin Cariou, Paris 19thTel +33 (0) 1 40 05 81 47www.cite-sciences.fr

FOREST HILL PARIS LA VILLETTE***28 avenue Corentin Cariou, Paris 19thTel +33 (0) 1 44 72 15 30www.foresthill-hotels.com

HOLIDAY INN PARIS LA VILLETTE****216 avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris 19thTel +33 (0) 1 44 84 18 18www.holidayinn-parisvillette.com

Disneyland® Paris, a playground on a lakeWith simulation games, teambuilding activities and leisure options, Business Solutions Disneyland® Paris offersevent organizers a wide variety of products and services. Located less than 35 minutes from Paris, Lake

Disney provides the perfect setting for an incentive event involving water sports. Through games and sport,

participants are encouraged to demonstrate team spirit, willingness and supportiveness: all qualities that

businesses seek to develop in their staff. The Speedboat racing event has participants splitting up into several

teams aboard single-seater speedboats to do battle on the lake. The raft race, for up to 240 participants,

has delegates paddling hard, and includes games testing physical and intellectual prowess on the water.

Another option is the dragon boat regatta, with rowers grouped into teams to finish a 250-metre race,

cheered on by drumbeats. The hotels in the park have meeting rooms suited to all event types, including one

right next to Lake Disney. The Dream Castle Hotel**** in Val de France, Disneyland® Paris’s new hotel district,

is inspired by the architecture of Renaissance castles. It has 397 rooms, 9 meeting rooms for 10 to 350 people,

a restaurant and a bar with a terrace overlooking the gardens and the lake. Similarly, the Radisson Blu****

P1PARIS NEWS // PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU N°62 // BUZZ ON MEETINGS // AUGUST 2011

Paris on the water. In summertime, why not mix business with pleasure by organizing a reception,incentive event or seminar in a pleasant waterside location in Paris?

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has an unrestricted view over the golf course and boasts a fitness centre. Offering similar amenities within the

theme park, Disney’s Hotel New York®**** has several meeting rooms and typical East Coast architecture. Alsowithin the theme park is Disney’s Newport Bay Club®*** on the lake shore, which resembles a New England seaside resort

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS DISNEYLAND® PARISwww.disneylandparis-business.com

DISNEY’S HOTEL NEW YORK®****Marne la ValléeTel +33 (0) 1 60 45 75 00www.disneylandparis-business.com

DISNEY’S NEWPORT BAY CLUB®***Marne la ValléeTel +33 (0) 1 60 45 75 00www.disneylandparis-business.com

DREAM CASTLE HOTEL AT DISNEYLAND® PARIS****40 avenue de la Fosse-des-Pressoirs, Marne la ValléeTel +33 (0) 1 64 17 90 00www.dreamcastle-hotel.com

HÔTEL RADISSON BLU AT DISNEYLAND® PARIS****Allée de la Mare Houleuse, Magny-Le-HongreTel +33 (0) 1 60 43 64 00www.radissonblu.com/golfresort-paris

The river and Paris as decor Paris has any number of waterfront restaurants, hotels and terraces. The equipment and logistics available

at Les Espaces du Cap 15 on the banks of the Seine are perfectly suited to large corporate events for up to1,000 people. Situated on the middle of a 10,000 m2 island in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes, the Chaletde la Porte Jaune boasts three flexible venues and offers turnkey privatization solutions. City centre optionsinclude the Shangri-La Hotel***** next to the Seine, with Trocadéro’s fountains making for a fabulous

display. They can also be admired from the restaurant of the Théâtre national de Chaillot facing the EiffelTower. For a really exclusive water-based event, the magnificent swimming pool at the Ritz***** is hard tobeat as a location. All the way across the city in the middle of the Jardin des Plantes, La Baleine is a diningand reception-holding location near the banks of the Seine, with two terraces providing an exceptional

setting. The restaurant can host up to 140 people for a cocktail party. Events with a water theme can also be

organized in the Paris suburbs. The 110-room Novotel Créteil Le Lac*** is located on the shores of the

Créteil Lake with its water sports centre offering a host of activities. Finally, a short distance from Rue des

Eaux, the Musée du Vin can be privatized for wine tasting events.

HÔTEL RITZ*****15 place Vendôme, Paris 1stTel +33 (0) 1 43 16 30 30www.ritzparis.com

HÔTEL SHANGRI-LA*****10 avenue d’Iéna, Paris 16thTel +33 (0) 1 53 67 19 98www.shangri-la.com

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LA BALEINE47 rue Cuvier, Paris 5thTel +33 (0) 1 40 79 80 72www.restaurant-la-baleine.com

LES ESPACES DU CAP 151-13 quai de Grenelle, Paris 15thTel +33 (0) 1 44 37 42 00www.cap15.com

LE CHALET DE LA PORTE JAUNEAvenue de Nogent, Bois de Vincennes, Paris 12thTel +33 (0) 1 43 28 80 11www.chaletportejaune.com

MUSÉE DU VIN5 square Charles Dickens, rue des Eaux, Paris 16thTel +33 (0) 1 45 25 63 26www.museeduvinparis.com

NOVOTEL CRÉTEIL LE LAC***Rue Jean Gabin, CréteilTel +33 (0) 1 56 72 56 72www.novotel.com

THÉÂTRE NATIONAL DE CHAILLOT10 place du Trocadéro, Paris 16thTel +33 (0) 1 53 65 30 00http://theatre-chaillot.fr

Venues by the water for private events The Musée national de la Marine on the Trocadero esplanade is the most emblematic one. Part of this exceptionalvenue can be privatized for corporate events, and personalized tours of the museum can also be organized.

The Batofar moored at Port de la Gare at the foot of the Bibliothèque nationale de France François Mitterrand,is another unusual venue. This Irish lightship has been converted into a Paris nightspot known for playing

cutting-edge music. The club can seat 300, and the heated terrace hosts up to 120 people for cocktails. There

is a 100-cover restaurant and a shady “beach” on the quay with a capacity for 1,000 people in summer. Going

further back in time, the Château de Versailles with its famed musical fountains can also be privatized formade-to-measure theme evenings in a truly royal setting.

BATOFAR11 quai François Mauriac, Paris 13thTel +33 (0) 1 53 65 30 00www.batofar.org

CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES SPECTACLESVersaillesTel +33 (0) 1 30 83 78 98www.chateauversailles-spectacles.fr

MUSÉE NATIONAL DE LA MARINE17 place du Trocadéro, Paris 16thTel +33 (0) 1 53 65 69 55www.musee-marine.fr

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Lunch and leisure on the water There’s no experience quite like watching the major Paris monuments glide past from aboard a boat on the

river. A Seine cruise for clients, staff or journalists is an event option that never goes out of style. Whether it’s

a business meeting or a multiple-company seminar, Yachts de Paris provides several options to privatize itsthree boats moored at quay and eight exceptional craft of different sizes to suit any event. Specializing in cruise

tours and lunch and dinner cruises, Bateaux Parisiens has a fleet of three trimarans, two hydrospaces and twomotor launches with capacity for 100 to 580 people for organizers wishing to host a made-to-measure cruise.

Compagnie des Bateaux à Roue runs four original, picturesque boats to take guests on a Mississippi-style

river cruise. The size of the boats and their two decks make these an interesting option for large-scale events

for several hundred attendees. Moored at the base of the Musée d’Orsay in the heart of Paris, the Marina deParis hosts theme evenings on its boats, with a menu and atmosphere devised especially to suit the chosentheme. The VIP Paris yacht goes one step further and provides luxurious accommodation on board for upmarketcruises lasting an entire weekend. An alternative way to explore Paris on the water is to organize a canal cruise.

The Paris Canal boats, equipped to pass the canal locks and navigate the Seine and Marne rivers, are an unusual way to visit the sights of the French capital. And for those who prefer a waterside venue without a

cruise, Les Calanques is one of the largest reception spaces on the Seine. Located to the west of Paris facingÎle Saint-Germain, this venue in the midst of greenery offers a lovely view of the Eiffel Tower. For an entirely

tailor-made event, Nautiques Événements specialises in putting together seminars and teambuilding events onthe water – canoe regattas, river rallies, indoor rowing contests and more, with historic estates in the Île-de-France

region and Paris districts and gardens as the setting.

BATEAUX PARISIENSPort de la Bourdonnais, Paris 7thTel +33 (0) 8 25 01 01 01www.bateauxparisiens.com

COMPAGNIE DES BATEAUX À ROUESPort de Javel Haut, Paris 15thTel +33 (0) 1 40 59 60 60www.bateaux-a-roue.fr

LES CALANQUESPort les Studios, BoulogneTel +33 (0) 1 46 21 84 39www.les-calanques.com

MARINA DE PARISPort de Bercy Aval, Paris 12thTel +33 (0) 1 43 43 40 30www.marina-de-paris.com

NAUTIQUES ÉVÉNEMENTS17 rue Solférino, BoulogneTel +33 (0) 1 41 41 05 54www.nautiques-evenements.com

PARIS CANAL19-21 quai de la Loire, Paris 19thTel +33 (0) 1 42 40 96 97www.pariscanal.com

VIP PARISPort de la Rapée, Paris 12thTel +33 (0) 1 48 84 45 30www.le-vip-paris.com

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YACHTS DE PARISPort Henri IV, Paris 4thTel +33 (0) 1 44 54 14 70www.yachtsdeparis.fr


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LA BALEINE

HÔTEL RITZ

BATEAUX PARISIENSMUSÉE DU VIN

LES ESPACES DU CAP 15

CENTRE DES CONGRÈS DE LA VILLETTE


Paris seen by … n°62P A R I S N E W S // A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

Rose-Marie and Thierry Dollet are the owners of a charming B&B ideally locatedat the foot of Montmartre Hill, which can be booked through the agency GoodMorning Paris. They have given up their former jobs as a photographer andan advertising and communications manager respectively, and now have theirhands full with their B&B – and their baby!

How did your foray into running a B&B come about?R.-M. & T.: We had our first guest two years ago, when we stood in for a neighbour who was supposed to be

hosting a Japanese florist doing a training course at a luxury hotel. We’d just moved house and the place was

full of packing boxes, but she was so nice that we really enjoyed having her stay. And she would come back

each evening with bouquets she’d made up at her course – such beautiful floral compositions!

Since we were planning to have a baby, running a B&B seemed a pleasant option for a new business. And now

we love doing it – it’s so enriching! It’s meeting people we really enjoy; the money’s less important. And some

encounters turn into lasting relationships – in fact we’ve become good friends with a few of our former guests.

Tell us about the room you rent to guests.R.-M. & T.: We wanted it to be a truly Parisian room. It’s very feminine. We once discovered that photos of the

room had been published in a Japanese book about Parisian interior decoration! We’ve paid a lot of attention

to detail – flowers on the windowsill, small decorative objects, etc. We decided not to put in a television, but

the room does have a radio – and a Wi-Fi Internet connection, of course. We also provide tea-making facilities

and biscuits. The bathroom is for our guests’ use only, and the layout of the house is such that when our guests

close the hall door, they can retreat into their own little apartment and be totally independent.

Why do your guests opt for this kind of accommodation?R.-M. & T.: Mainly because of the price – we charge €99 per night, breakfast included. The B&B concept provides

a comfortable stay and a home away from home – that’s what most of our guests write in our visitors’ book.

How exactly does a stay in your B&B work?R.-M. & T.: We wait for guests to arrive and welcome them. If they’re arriving very early in the morning, or

have a late flight out, we always ask if they’d like to leave their luggage with us. We usually pop in to see them

once they’ve settled in to give them a map of the neighbourhood and have a chat, unless they’d rather be left

on their own – we can spot that immediately. We speak English, German and Spanish, which comes in handy

to talk to guests and make them feel at ease.

The room is obviously thoroughly cleaned before each guest arrives, and we clean the room and bathroom

every four days per stay on average. But we empty out the dustbins and air the room everyday, top up the

teabag and biscuit supply and water the plants.

Our guests are totally independent – they have their own key and can come and go as they please, even when

we’re not around. We trust them completely.

The agency handles all the admin and sets out terms and conditions of use. It’s reassuring for us as well as

our guests. All payments are made to the agency; we like it this way, because we’d have been uncomfortable

P1PARIS NEWS // PARIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU N°62 // PARIS SEEN BY … // AUGUST 2011

handling the money end of it. Funnily enough, many of our guests who plan to come back always ask if they

can book us directly. We always refuse – we prefer the convenience and peace of mind that going through the

agency gives us.

How do you look after your guests? What services do you offer, besides the room?R.-M. & T.: We’ve been improving the quality of our welcome bit by bit. We’ve made up a map of the area with

lots of recommendations for places nearby. For example, we add a little chef’s hat to the name of a restaurant

to indicate it’s worth trying.

We always give our guests two basic pieces of advice – be careful when you’re crossing the street, and watch out

for pickpockets, especially around the nearby Sacré Cœur Basilica and flea market.

R.-M.: I get the room ready on the day a guest is scheduled to arrive, and I like adding little personal

touches – for example, I’ll put in pink flowers or pink bed linen if I know it’s a woman. Depending which

agency they’ve booked with, we’re given information about the guests – their job, their country etc., and

that’s useful to help us prepare for their arrival. I make sure breakfast is prettily served and ask when they’d

like it – some guests want breakfast at 7am and others at 10.30am, which is quite late! Breakfast is

served on beautiful antique porcelain dishes and we use the family silver. It’s a traditional French breakfast

– croissants or other bakery items, a baguette, two kinds of jam, salted and unsalted butter and a choice

of coffee, tea, milk or hot chocolate.

Before our baby came along, we used to offer cookery lessons, provide dinner and have breakfast with

guests who wanted us to. Some guests really enjoy talking to us, and will occasionally bring us a bottle of

wine to sample with some sausages!

Many of our guests write a note in the visitors’ book in the room, and some even do us a drawing or leave

a photo.

Is there such a thing as the typical guest?R.-M. & T.: We mostly have an urban clientele, usually in the 40-50 age range, most often couples. The mini-

mum stay is three nights and most of our guests stay three to four nights. Bookings are increasingly tending to

be last minute, with shorter stays. We have guests all year round, with a slight drop in January and February.

Finally, we have a lot of honeymooning couples.

What countries do your guests come from?R.-M. & T.: From all over the world! We do have a lot of Japanese guests, but otherwise it varies a lot – we’ve

had Germans, Argentineans, Turks… We’ve never had any Russian guests though.

Do guests have any particular habits depending on their nationality?R.-M. & T.: Yes, of course. For example, our Japanese guests come back early in the evening; they’re a bit

scared of staying out late, though we try our best to reassure them. They do a lot of reading before they come

and know what they want to do and see. Germans, too, are very organised – they’ve usually planned their

whole trip in advance, complete with colour coding! The Japanese do a lot of shopping, while our German

guests hardly ever go shopping. Many of our guests, especially the Asian ones, bring us little gifts – usually

food specialities from their country.

All guests are different – do you have any amusing or unpleasant experiences to recount?R.-M. & T.: It’s true that some guests don’t seem to realise they’re staying in someone’s home. I used to leave

a little silver bell on the breakfast tray for people to ring if they needed something. I had to stop doing that,

because some guests acted as if they were at a hotel and kept ringing it very loudly – that was really unplea-

sant. Apart from that, though, we’ve always had very pleasant and polite guests. We’ve never had the sligh-

test problem in the two years we’ve been running our B&B – on the contrary. One Japanese guest would always

leave small tea towels on her pillow, and I couldn’t understand why. I was actually even a bit miffed. I ended

up asking her why she always covered up her pillow, and she explained that she used a lot of face cream and

didn’t want to leave any marks on the pillowcases!



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Speaking of Japanese guests, they have a particular bathing ritual, which involves washing outside the shower

and then getting into the shower to rinse off. It’s quite a long process, but mysteriously enough the bathroom

is always spotlessly clean afterwards.

Would you like to share some of the addresses you give your guests with our readers?R.-M. & T.: There are plenty of really good little places around the house and our guests usually prefer to

remain in the area in the evening. Au Bon Coin, a wine bar whose owners are from the Aveyron region, serves

an excellent Sarlat-style salad. The clientele is very mixed – anything from blue-collar workers to bankers. It’s

a typically Parisian place. La Sauterelle is another good restaurant we often recommend, but it’s best to book

a table in advance, because it’s tiny. Then there’s the Cottage Marcadet for gourmet dining – it’s quite pricey.

For those with a sweet tooth, pastry chef Arnaud Larher has not one but two shops only a short walk from

the house! The Moulin de la Galette, an old-fashioned bakery, makes scrumptious chocolate eclairs, and

our guests love its vintage decor. For croissants and pain au chocolat, try Gontran Cherrier, but don’t buy

anything else there – we find it somewhat overpriced. Aurore Capucine sells dozens of different types of jam

in her little shop with its doll’s house decor. We also tell our guests about some nice little shops in the area

where you can pick up decorative objects – they’re also marked on our map.

We tend to recommend places that are off the tourist trail – we prefer little known shops and restaurants.

Outside the district, we recommend a visit to the covered passages. The prettiest ones are the Passage Verdeau

and the Galerie Vivienne. Our favourite department store is the Bon Marché. And, for a stroll, we recommend

an itinerary taking in the Marais, Île Saint-Louis, Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle – with a short detour for

an ice cream at Berthillon!

Our cultural venues of choice are the Musée d’Orsay for its collection of Impressionist paintings, Versailles

and Giverny – these three are must-sees for all our guests.

GOOD MORNING PARISTel +33 (0) 1 47 07 28 29www.goodmorningparis.fr

Rose-Marie and Thierry’s B&B can also be booked through Alcôves et Agapes and Meeting the French agencies.

ALCÔVES ET AGAPESTel +33 (0) 1 44 85 06 05www.bed-and-breakfast-in-paris.com

MEETING THE FRENCHTel +33 (0) 1 42 51 19 80www.meetingthefrench.com

ARNAUD LARHER53 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 42 57 68 0857 rue Damrémont, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 42 55 57 97www.arnaud-larher.com

AU BON COIN49 rue des Cloÿs, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 46 06 91 36

AURORE CAPUCINE3 rue Rochechouart, Paris 9thTel +33 (0) 1 48 78 16 20

BOULANGERIE DU MOULIN DE LA GALETTE48 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 46 06 96 71

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GONTRAN CHERRIER BOULANGER

LE COTTAGE MARCADET

BOULANGERIE DU MOULIN DE LA GALETTE

AU BON COIN

AURORE CAPUCINE


LE COTTAGE MARCADET151 bis rue Marcadet, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 42 57 71 22www.cottagemarcadet.com

GONTRAN CHERRIER BOULANGER22 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 46 06 82 66http://gontran-cherrier-boulanger.com

LA SAUTERELLE57 rue Montcalm, Paris 18thTel +33 (0) 1 42 54 06 55

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ARNAUD LARHER

LA SAUTERELLE

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