In the heart of Parisian fashion and luxury

Luxury and fashion are perhaps two of Paris' most alluring appeals. They developed during the 19^th century in the neighbourhood around the Madeleine Church, between Faubourg Saint Honoré and Boulevard Haussmann. The district is still home to the most emblematic shops of this unique Art de Vivre and their legendary shop windows continue to display the world's most elegant, beautiful and refined goods. It is the site of the capital's department stores - Le Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, and of Fauchon, Hédiard, Hermès and all the other luxury brand names. The founders of the department stores were visionaries who wanted to make their shops gigantic cathedrals devoted to fashion. Light years from today's profit-seeking business criteria, they never balked at harnessing, with remarkable taste and daring, the talents of the greatest architects, craftsmen, engineers and artists of their era. The dome of the Galeries Lafayette, the cupola of the Printemps, the stained-glass windows and sculpture are all monuments in their own right.

These stores were so in the midst of the most exciting current events of the era that they inspired novels (particularly by Emile Zola), made headline news and could always be depended upon to offer the best, such as Eiffel's metal structures or electric lighting far before the city actually equipped the rest of the neighbourhood. True to this tradition, they have never ceased to remain at the forefront both in terms of appeal and avant-garde trends. Every day, tens of thousands of Parisians and tourists from all over the world flock here to sample the unique pleasure of window shopping, sometimes giving into their irresistible temptation.

In the middle of Rue Tronchet that runs from La Madeleine to Le Printemps, the Best Western Premier Hotel Opal was built in 1823. Its distinguished facade was redesigned in the early 20^th century in pure Art deco style. The hotel's name, picked out in the gold lettering characteristic of the period, and the lines of the windows and balconies bear witness to this artistic movement. The rooms on the 6^th floor afford splendid views of the Garnier Opera House and its statues, the dome of the Galeries Lafayette or the facade of the Madeleine Church. The hotel is perfectly matched to the soul of this neighbourhood, as much by its timeless classical architecture and its uncompromising dedication to comfort, as by its contemporary interior design. In this district devoted to fashion, it is not a coincidence that the interior decoration of the establishment was entrusted to a woman. Valérie Manoïl has endowed the Best Western Premier Hotel Opal with a personality that is as elegant as it is sophisticated. She endeavoured in particular to make the most use of light, fitting out the suites in particular with chromatherapy bathtubs and calling upon Argentine designer Octavio Amado to design the amazing string of lights that decks the six flights of the stairwell. She also designed a striking fireplace for the lounge, which further accentuates the property's unique character, in the same manner as the Philippe Starck furniture, Murano vases, Hervé Gamb candles and exquisite wall hangings and furnishings, all of which pay playful tribute to the world of fashion.

The restaurants in the nearby streets also mirror Paris' devotion to fashion and luxury. Mollard for example, just opposite the nearby Saint Lazare railway station, and its sumptuous Belle Epoque decor, remains a stunning and quite unforgettable sight, both for the eye and the palate.

Jules Védrines, who pulled off the amazing feat of landing his plane on the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette in 1919, just another of the many extraordinary happenings that have dotted the history of this neighbourhood, coined a charming expression to depict the parisian youth as it blossoms around the eternal Paris of the Best Western Premier Hotel Opal; he used to praise its "'âme aérienne" or "light-hearted soul".

Best Western Premier Hotel Opal

19 Rue Tronchet, Paris, France - 75008

Phone: +33 (0) 1 42 65 77 97 Fax: +33 (0) 1 42 65 66 50