Olivier Bertrand has reopened Hôtel Balzac just off the top of the Champs-Élysées in Paris’ 8th Arr. Bertrand’s fifth hotel property (and his third new hotel in three years), Hôtel Balzac has undergone a total reinvention of its interiors by the renowned French architecture firm, Festen.
Hôtel Balzac is housed in a turn of the century building that sits on the site of the former home of the 19th century French novelist, Honoré de Balzac.
Festen Architecture transformed Hotel Balzac into a unique destination, blending grand hotel spirit with intimate chic. Inspired by the hotel’s facade and architectural details, they created a distinctive atmosphere while honouring its history and heritage.
From the glass-roofed lounge to the rooms and spa, the spaces offer a cozy and welcoming ambiance. Neutral tones, clean lines, and refined materials such as wood, velvet, and natural stone create timeless elegance. Light, considered as a true element of decoration, enhances the space throughout the day. Custom-made furniture, reminiscent of the 1930s and 40s, is reinterpreted with creative modernity and a constant focus on comfort. Every detail of this renovation echoes Balzac’s Parisian identity.
“Balzac perpetuates a timeless Parisian hotel heritage with its classicism. It’s a place full of atmosphere, with a history that we have respected and extended. You need to experience this place to understand it,” says Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay, the brains behind Festen.
A member of Relais & Châteaux, the new, five-star luxury Hotel Balzac features 58 rooms and suites – some with views of the Eiffel Tower and open-air terraces, a glass-domed lobby lounge, a discrete bar, and the 3-Michelin star restaurant, Pierre Gagnaire, in its lobby. The hotel’s Japanese-inspired Ikoi Spa at Hotel Balzac will open this summer.
A mythical area, the Champs-Élysées is reclaiming its elegance, increasingly asserting itself as “the most beautiful avenue in the world.” From the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, the vibrant atmosphere, day and night, evokes dreams of the chic Paris of the golden years.
Ultra-chic, discreet, exclusive, a far cry from ostentatious luxury, Hôtel Balzac has been reinvented entirely in the grand tradition of French hospitality, like a beautiful private residence rich with unique history and atmosphere.
Inspired by the hotel’s exterior façade, with its intricate architectural details, lanterns, elevated steps, and majestic entrance, Festen were guided by the soul of the place, its history, and its magnificent heritage.
Everywhere, the decoration exudes timeless elegance, with the reassuring presence of wood in burl, solid oak, or lacquered forms, intricate trimmings, selected art objects, and noble materials: velvet sofas, moiré fabric, natural stone, marble mosaics. The palette of brown, tawny, cognac, or camel tones is highlighted by an artistic reflection on light, which stages the spaces throughout the day and night.
The custom-designed furniture by Festen for Hôtel Balzac evokes the understated elegance of the 1930s and 1940s, revisited with a very personal modern creativity. For every detail, the pursuit of absolute comfort was the primary requirement, an obvious choice.
Owned by Olivier Bertrand and his family, Hotel Balzac and its sister hotels Saint James Paris (16th Arr.) and Relais Christine (Latin Quarter) are members of Relais & Chateaux. The family’s other properties include two other new hotels opened in the last year: néo-art-nouveau-inspired Château des Fleurs and the Hotel Norman, which was inspired by modernist graphic designer Norman Ives, both in the 8th Arr. near the top of the Champs-Elysées.
Hôtel Balzac is located in the 8th arr. at 6, Rue Balzac 75008 Paris.
Room rates start at 550 euros inclusive of breakfast – see www.hotelbalzac.paris.
