The Tamesis
From the moment I stepped into the chocolate-brown facade of the Hotel Marseille in Paris’ 9th arrondissement in October, I felt a deep sense of relief. Maybe it’s the clean woody fragrance that permeates the entrance, or maybe it’s the people in well-dressed clothes sitting in the simple and comfortable lobby, reading under the warm light. You might be disarming when a space feels like it was “designed for you,” like so many businesses and restaurants geared toward millennials—devoid of personality but tailored to your personal algorithm. But the Mass is not like that. You can tell right away that a thoughtful, tasteful person is in charge. Then, you can relax.
Photo: Kobe Ana
Photo: Kobe Ana
Located in the south of Pigalle, surrounded by vintage boutiques and bobo traitor out of 9th The hotel was the first hotel owned by brother and sister Eole and Corto Peyron. Housed in the classic Haussmann building No. 19th– century architecture, a sanctuary of art, antique furniture and charm. It is also the first hotel designed by the architectural duo Juliette Gasparetto and Julie Parenti, who met while working at Festen (the company responsible for the Hotel Balzac and Chateau Voltaire). Gasparetto Parenti focuses on warm tones presented in soft textures: beige shaggy rugs, wooden ceilings, retro furniture from the 1970s and mirrored side tables. The result is something cool that doesn’t hit you over the head with said coolness; not scary, but awesome.
Photo: Kobe Ana
Photo: Kobe Ana
You can attribute that partly to the fact that this hotel is very much a family affair. While Corto, a longtime hospitality industry veteran, spearheaded the project, his sister Eole, who usually works in development, oversaw the design. Their father, a professional windsurfer and the first person to cross the Atlantic, helped with the business side. Paintings that pay subtle nod to the family’s history hang throughout the hotel (themes include family crests, windsurfers and Pernod Ricard bottles, as the family invented the famous French spirit).
Photo: Kobe Ana
Photo: Kobe Ana
Many hotels claim to feel like home, but Marseille certainly does. After an easy check-in, having just flown overnight from New York to meet a friend in crisis and still ragged, I was offered a cup of lavender tea from Comptoir des Hemispheres and a chocolate cake made by the hotel electrician’s wife. I then tucked myself into the beautiful cocoon-like room, with walls clad in okume wood and a soft, jewel-toned green plush rug. Everything felt so soothing that I accidentally took a two-hour nap in my jeans.
Photo: Kobe Ana
Photo: Kobe Ana
Each of the Massé’s 40 rooms has its own character. Some rooms have velvet window seats, plush benches, Juliet balconies and small desks; some rooms have velvet window seats, plush benches, Juliet balconies and small desks. My bathroom has a beautiful oversized tub with wooden walls and a warm yellow light that illuminates my tub. (Indeed, the most important and often overlooked lighting design in all the rooms is thoughtfully considered, with Rudolph Steiner lamps and soft fabric fixtures, complemented by bedside reading lamps.) Even the hotel uniforms (a green-collared blazer made by Le Maire alumnus Studio de Lostanges, “inspired by the jackets worn by waiters in the French navy”) are so handsome that I wonder if I shouldn’t buy one myself. (I can note that the hotel manager is emily in paris-Is the love interest level handsome? )
Photo: Kobe Ana
Photo: Kobe Ana
While training in more traditional hotels, Coto tracked standard hospitality practices that he would change when opening his own hotel. hotel feel rule That was the main thing he wanted to abolish. Marcel should feel more relaxed. Late check out? no problem. Going to bed late? It doesn’t matter – you can have breakfast anytime. And you will Want to have breakfast. Everything is sourced from the local community, much of it from around the corner on Rue des Martyrs, famous for its small shops and artisan bakeries. (The pastries are from Le Pain Retrouvé, which is particularly convenient because it allows you to skip the always-long line outside.)
Photo: Kobe Ana
Photo: Kobe Ana
As for art? Throughout the hotel, you’ll find Eole’s flea market finds alongside works by artists Eduardo Lalane and Héloïse Rival, as well as the lobby’s eye-catching centerpiece: an abstract geometric painting by artist Christian Rosa, perhaps best known for his legal dispute with his mentor Raymond Pettibon over counterfeit paintings. The Perrons commissioned the painting from Rosa while the hotel was still under construction, and the artist lived at the hotel for extended periods to create his work. Like the Mass, this painting is colorful but not cloying, simple but not boring, and demonstrates the unique hand of its creator.
As if that wasn’t enough, Corto takes me on a tour of the construction site next door, which will soon become the adjoining Trente bar-restaurant, open from late afternoon to 2am, serving hotel guests and Parisian locals streaming in from nearby La Cigalle. Set to open in December, Trente will feature a large wooden retro bar, terrazzo floors and barstools, serving cocktails and small plates. Upstairs there is a cozy room with a huge sofa for private parties and events. I felt bad visiting before Trent’s grand opening – but at least now I have an excuse to come back.
