Searching for Old Paris? Stay at the Historic Hotel Lutetia
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Located on Paris's fabled Left Bank, the Hotel Lutetia is a destination unto itself. It was originally founded in 1910 to house luxury department store Le Bon Marché's high-end clientele on their seasonal shopping sprees. It was one of the first buildings to be built in the then-modern Art Deco style, and later its facade was decorated with the ornate flourishes you see today.
The Lutetia quickly became a staple of the 6th arrondissement and a melting pot for artists, businessmen, socialites, and writers. During World War I and World War II, the hotel became the headquarters for German officers before the Allies re-took Paris. After that, it was a shelter for refugees trying to reunite with their loved ones.
Once it was up and running as a hotel, the Lutetia hosted icons like Joséphine Baker, Picasso, Matisse, Andre Gide, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce, who wrote Ulysses from his suite. The Lutetia also became an important center for jazz, with musicians like Juliette Greco, Serge Gainsbourg, and Andy Garcia as frequent guests.
In the 1980s, the Lutetia collaborated with fashion designer Sonia Rykiel to redesign some of the suites and interior, while keeping its historic nature intact. Now, guests can choose suites based on their interests, whether they want a modern or traditional suite. The Lutetia's Signature Suites allow guests to have an experience of their choosing, whether it's the Eiffel Writer's Suite, The Saint-Germain Penthouse by Coppola, or the Joséphine Baker Suite with an Eiffel View Terrace.
For travelers dashing around Paris, there are five restaurants where you can rest and indulge in Parisian cuisine. At breakfast, pastries from L'Orangerie and a lovely chocolat chaud, for lunch and dinner get classic French fare at Brasserie Lutetia and Le Saint-Germain, and for a nightcap, try a glass of vin at the Bar Joséphine and Bar Aristid.
Staying at a hotel as iconic as Hotel Lutetia infuses every second of your trip with that famous Parisian 'je ne sais quoi.'
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