Millennium Hotels and Resorts is marking M Social’s first outpost in Europe with the opening of M Social Hotel Paris Opera. The new lifestyle offering will merge the elegance of the historical Parisian lifestyle with contemporary design, vibrant art and inviting rooms to create an enchanting retreat for guests to gather, work and discover all that Paris has to offer.
The 163-room hotel is enviably located at 12 Boulevard Haussmann, in the heart of Opéra making it within walking distance to some of the city’s most famous landmarks including the Louvre, the Sacré-Cœur and the Moulin Rouge. To cater to a new diverse community of travelers, $6.2 million (5.4 million euro) was spent on refurbishing the former Millennium Paris Opera into more contemporary lodgings.
A hub for explorers, M Social Hotel Paris Opera features spaces that are designed to be accessible, comfortable and practical to guests’ needs with rooms that offer sweeping views overlooking the famous Boulevard Haussmann. The hotel is conveniently located near major shopping, art and cultural attractions of the Paris Opera district. Guests are guaranteed to experience Paris like a true Parisian in the heart of the city of lights escaping the hustle and bustle in timelessly stylish surroundings.
Step back in time to 1920s elegance as soon as you walk through the revolving door into the hotel’s Art Deco foyer, made of marble surfaces, ornate chandeliers and a glass-roofed cupola. StudioCaid, the creative architects behind the newly renovated areas, describes the design concept as an exchange of styles that emphasises the contrast between classic and modern. 1920s Paris and the hotel’s location inspired the design, according to Franck Cousin, interior designer/architect, StudioCaid. StudioCaid incorporated into the design the artistic styles of the surrounding iconic infrastructures such as the Opera Garnier and the Louvre to create the “Hotel of Today.”
“The design was inspired by the style of the Opéra Garnier which is closely located to the hotel and the mentality of reinventing traditional elements with the modernity of today,” Cousin said. “For the office desks, the design is heavily influenced by the Opera Garnier which is well known in the world for their marble, and which is why we chose it for the offices. The marble style was then inspired by the fashion of today. I worked to incorporate the quality of the marble from opera and the modernity of today. The design of the carpet was inspired by the floorboards seen in all traditional Parisian apartments, along with a contemporary motif. We reworked the molding in the rooms with a ‘broken’ mirror effect to add a contemporary look. The Blue color seen prominently in all the room designs was used as it is a color that gives a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. It is also a source of differentiation from the competition as it is not a traditional color used in hotels. There were elements of the old rooms that were kept such as the door handles and the bathroom sink in order to respect the spirit of the original hotel design. The history of the hotel and the area (Opera) was respected.”
Artistically infused
Each room holds the history of Les Années Folles (in English “The Roaring Twenties”) and the future of M Social Paris. The newly renovated rooms allow guests to have an authentic Parisian experience within the comforts of today’s modern world.
“Les Années Folles was the period after the war where we left the dark and gray and introduced new life with vibrant colors, hence the blue,” Cousin said. “This mentality was used throughout the hotel design as we shifted from the old design to something newer and more vibrant. That period of time was when architecture design was at the edge of Art Deco and Art Nouveau, adding linear designs and flowing curves based on natural forms. These design concepts were new to the public, synonymous with modernity and totally different from previous designs. There was a strong need for change and people were looking for new experiences.”
In the ’20s, Paris was the social, artistic and cultural hotspot of the world, Cousin explained. “It is the fashion capital and during the ’20s there were significant new trends in lifestyle and culture that were introduced and the Art Deco design was at its peak,” he added.
Accommodation choices range from cozy yet spacious Signature rooms that give views into the hotel’s peaceful inner courtyard to Grande Sweetie suites that offer separate living areas and breathtaking views of the Opera Garnier or the Sacré- Cœur.
“The story told is the rebirth of a building (renaissance) and how we have elevated it by combining 20s inspired design along with the modern style and fashion of today,” Cousin said. “It is a story of reworked contemporary that involves marrying today’s fashion with inspirations of the past that creates a warm, simplistic and harmonious atmosphere throughout the hotel.”
He added, “Imagine Art Deco spirit with a contemporary lifestyle twist. Traditional aesthetics blended with modern touches is the focus. The design of the hotel incorporates the artistic styles of the surrounding iconic infrastructures such as the Opera Garnier and the Louvre to create the ‘Hotel of Today.’ We wanted to revive the history of architecture through M Social Paris, bringing novelty architecture back in style.”