Grand Pigalle Hotel
Photo Courtesy of Kristen Pelou
The seed was planted years ago when the bon vivant trio of Olivier Bon, Romée de Goriainoff and Pierre-Charles Cros opened their first, and the first, artisanal cocktail bar in Paris, The Experimental Cocktail Club, back in 2007. What happened afterward was a whirlwind of bar and restaurant openings for the group, from Ibiza to New York and London. And now, proudly comes their first foray in overnight stays, Grand Pigalle Hotel. The property, which began taking reservations in early April, embodies the timeless spirit that has become signature to the Experimental Group. This place is more than just a spot to sleep — it’s a stop to soak up the Parisian lifestyle while ordering a lavish libation from room service.
Wine & Dine, Photo Courtesy of Kristen Pelou
Combining exactly what you’d hope to find when booking a hotel in any city, the Grand Pigalle has the trifecta — location, service and design. Located at the top of the 9th arrondissement, in an area that has likely seen more bar and restaurant openings in the last three years than the rest of Paris combined, the hotel sits on a prime corner offering views over city rooftops, the Villa Frochot, where painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec called home, and the iconic Sacré-Cœur church atop its hill in Montmartre.
Services and amenities at the Grand Pigalle are discreet but well thought-out: a private door is reserved for hotel guests, affording them prime access to the hotel’s centerpiece amenity, the Wine and Dine restaurant and lounge; mini-bars are stocked with top-of-the-line artisanal alcohols and house-made bottled cocktails; and bathrooms have custom-made Buly toiletries by Ramdane Touhami. You won’t find many trendy technology items in the rooms, however, as everything, down to the light switches, is made to last. Timeless design is the theme for the nocturnal-friendly hotel, keeping in line with the signature aesthetic of the Experimental Group’s other bars and restaurants in Paris.
Grand Pigalle’s Sopi Room, Photo Courtesy of Kristen Pelou
Designer Dorothée Meilichzon’s inspiration when conceiving the Grand Pigalle was to keep true to the company’s DNA while also thinking about what future visitors would want. So, that likely explains why rooms have cozy bedding, soft lighting and textured wallpaper while public spaces are equipped with white marble fireplaces and hand-painted floors by Alexandre Poulaillon.
With its small, yet impeccably designed lobby, a staff decked out in French Trotters ensembles, and an overall old-meets-new vibe, the Grand Pigalle Hotel gives off a certain allure without much of an effort. Once you’re immersed in the Grand Pigalle vibe, savor an infused vodka or a meal any time of the day at Wine and Dine’s long wooden bar. Or, you could head to the plush velour couches and intimate tables for a cocktail or a glass of wine from one of the 200 varieties on offer. The bar menu is inspired by some of the founders’ favorite dishes from hotels around the world and elaborated by chef Laetitia Visse, while the cocktail roster by Maxime Potfer, bar manager at the Experimental Cocktail Club, offers specialties such as the Pauvre Chérie (gin, sherry and bitters mixed with crushed peppercorns and sage) based on classics tried during the owners’ travels.
