Nestled in the belly of Paris
Feeding a city like Paris, whose population is not only extremely large but also famously demanding in terms of the quality and variety of its cuisine, requires an enormous market, to supply the city's butchers, fishmongers, and grocers, as well as all of its restaurants. Up until around 1970 it was located at the heart of the French capital just a few steps from rue Saint Honoré. It was known as the "belly" of Paris. The Halles may have left the historic location they had enjoyed since 1135, but the area, which is home to the Best Western Premier Louvre Saint Honoré, has kept all its charm and unique atmosphere, as well as its traditional small restaurants. They are no longer frequented by the "tasseurs" (who created amazing displays of produce), the "soldeurs" (who specialised in unsold items), the "glaciers" (who supplied the ice used to preserve the fish), the "rouleurs" (who loaded the wagons), the "carapatins" (who drove the wagons), the "forts" (who unloaded the tons of produce, particularly the 100 kg quarters of meat), or the hawkers, delivery men, sellers and buyers from the market, but still serve simple and delicious cuisine in buildings often dating back to medieval times, whose fronts are not necessarily still straight. Buildings such as the Best Western Premier Louvre Saint Honoré, full of character and built in cut stone, displays, in its ancient balconies, moulding, and cornices, roots which date back to the 18th century.
The interior design of the hotel not only upholds the proud elegance of its facade but offers a modern interpretation; colourful, creative and full of wonderful surprises. As such the breakfast room spectacularly leaves exposed the foundations of the building, which date back several hundred years, using them to create surroundings that are as bold as they are comfortable: Philippe Starck mesh chairs, state-of-the-art lighting, and a harmonious colour scheme are all perfectly in keeping with this. The extremely pleasant salon, around which the activity of the hotel is centred, is reminiscent of a typical Parisian town house of which it has all the features (fireplace, library, Chesterfield sofa, chandeliers, standard lamps and mirrors), but in an updated version, not lacking in humour. Furthermore, the reception is lit by two remarkable light panels created by the Argentinian designer Octavio Amado. The rooms are a little more ‘reserved', and are notable from the moment you enter for their calmness and the freshness of their design, which create an extremely restful atmosphere. They are also extremely functional and equipped with the latest multimedia technology.
The Best Western Premier Louvre Saint Honoré is located just a few steps from the Seine, the Musée du Louvre, the île de la Cité, and many other mythical places of old Paris. It is next door to the house where Molière was born in 1622 and not far from the Théâtre de la Comédie Française where the great writer died, practically on stage, fifty years later. It is an ideal location for exploring Paris on foot and, even better, for getting right to its soul which seeps out from its fountains and cobblestones, and which is evident in its cut stones, its statues and its terraces. As such the nearby crossroads of the Croix du Trahoir has long been one of the busiest in Paris, so much so that a station for sedan chairs was created here in 1639. This mode of transport, very similar to today's taxis, was the most suitable for the narrow congested streets of the time, which were often strewn with rubbish or simply muddy. Paris has of course changed a lot since then but buildings such as the Best Western Premier Louvre Saint Honoré add to the durability of its elegance, its history, and, above all, its soul.
| Best Western Premier Louvre Saint Honore |
| 141 Rue Saint Honore, Paris, France - 75001 |
| Phone: +33 1 42 96 23 23 Fax: +33 1 42 96 21 61 |
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