As anticipated, Paris swept me up in its fast-paced nature the moment my feet stepped out the TGV in Montparnasse. It’s admirable, really, how a city so full of life and raw intensity is able to transpose itself so naturally onto its guests. Soon enough, I was walking more briskly, eating a warm pain au chocolat on the go, wiping buttery crumbs so nonchalantly onto the pavement.
You walk past the Arc de Triomphe and it feels quite literally like a portal to both past and future. It’s grand. I’m transfixed. It’s easy to see why Paris’s rich cultural scene has attracted travellers for centuries.
Cruising down the Seine, perhaps a croissant baking class and even a Paris bike tour to Versailles, there-in lies a bevy of unique experiences to see the French capital city through rose tinted glasses. And there are few better ways to experience it than from the considered comfort of a good hotel. Maison Honnel is one of them.
Why book?
A vibe of breezy ease takes hold as soon as you step off the bustling streets and into the classy, comfortable shades of Maison Honnel, just off Rue de Suréne in the 8th arrondissement.
The staff are amicable and the check-in come with a sort of “prodigal son” effect: even the smallest outing — a trip to the next door pharmacy, for example — is acknowledged by the front of house as though you’re embarking on a grand mission.
Speaking of outings, Maison Honnel sits on the doorstep of some of Paris’s most iconic locations: the Avenue des Champs-élysées, Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré and its great fashion houses as well as the neoclassical Eglise de la Madeleine. An introduction to Parisian Belle Époque architecture and Parisian history, then, doesn’t require a particularly strong pair of legs.
Set the scene
It’s 11pm and you’re trudging down the rue after indulging in a late-night bowl of shoyu-based ramen. You push through the hotel doors and are met by a rush of warm, wood scented air.
The city falls away.
Inside, natural timber emerges from the shadows. Terracotta and burnt orange catches the low light. A water glass bears the faint evidence of its previous occupant: an armchair sits slightly askew.
The room has been lived in.
And that, precisely is the point.
Maison Honnel avoids the polished sterility that can sometimes accompany luxury hospitality. Its spaces feel composed rather than contrived, structured but not overly precious.
Unlike some of the more grandiose, intimidating institutions in town, at Maison Honnel, there is just enough imperfection to make the place feel human.
You approach the lift with little persuasion. It feels like home. I would have left my shoes at the door of the hotel if I could.
In the room, soft lighting highlights intriguing contemporary art pieces and gentle aesthetics, suggesting that respite is on the horizon. After a surprisingly warm and powerful shower boosted by Terre de Mars toiletries sourced from Marseilles, you curl up on the rust-hued bouclé at the edge of the bed to recap your day.
Not surprisingly, the bed’s appeal proves to strong. You wake to the sounds of Paris stirring to life.
The Backstory
Founding figure Carlo Honnel arrived in Paris in the 19th century, lured by the city’s beating heart of fashion. A tailor by training, he settled in Paris’s Madeleine district to establish his workshop.
Maison Honnel was created as a continuation to his philosophy: precision, respect for materials and an applied elegance without ostentation.
Following Carlo’s workshop, the address housed a photography studio, a perfumery and later a film studio. There is something fitting about that lineage. Creative independence has long been embedded in the address, and Maison Honnel draws on that craftsmanship as inspiration. It’s sensibility.
Wellness
“No overblown promises, no oversized spaces,” advertises the wellness facility tucked away on the low-level of the hotel.
Run in partnership with Monmasseur, the facility offer an experience thats feels less upsell, more high-return wellness. There’s a treatment room, a traditional sauna and a fitness space.
Gratefully, I had the pleasure of using the latter, and despite its compact size, it hosts an entourage of carefully curated and well-maintained equipment: a rowing machine, treadmill, elliptical and dumbbell rack. It is more than enough for a proper workout, particularly after a day spent pounding the pavements of Paris.
The experience
A space to rest oneself in one of the 41 rooms and suites on site feels like a fortuitous opportunity, particularly given those limited numbers in a city moving at such expeditious pace.
Maison Honnel is a healthy mix of Instagrammable corners, stereotypical aloof Parisian staff — who are, in reality, terribly efficient — chic design spaces and quality linens designed for true rest.
I’ve stayed at a few exceptional five-star establishments in Paris, and what sets Maison Honnel apart is its succinct focus on genuine practicality. Here, decorative flourish gives way to efficient, intuitive design. Comfort feels considered rather than advertised.
You sleep better. You’re better organised. You work better. And that, is the real luxury.
I swore that I left Maison Honnel with the faintly ridiculous feeling that I had somehow become a more functional version of myself. And to be honest, there’s no better takeaway for any hotel stay.
Maison Honnel
Address: 33 rue de Surène 75008 Paris
Instagram: @maisonhonnel
Text: Sihan Lee
Photo courtesy: Sihan Lee
