The Luxe Wellness Club team also sometimes tests urban settings for you, with shorter formats adapted to a city lifestyle. Ambre Venissac, Wellness Travel Designer at Luxe Wellness Club, takes you to the Grand Mazarin to experience the pulse of the French capital.
As a Parisian expatriate for two years now, it’s always a bit strange for me to stay in a hotel when I’m visiting Paris. In fact, my experience, however pleasant it may have been at these fine addresses, seems a little disconnected from my reality in Paris. I feel like I’ve lost touch with the real Paris, and that I’m missing out on some of the treasures this city has in store for those privileged enough to call themselves Parisians.
Le Grand Mazarin radically changed the situation. I’d like to let you in on almost all the secrets of Maisons Pariente’s first urban jewel.
Le Grand Mazarin: a vibrant, resolutely Parisian spirit
More than just a hotel, the Grand Mazarin is nestled in the heart of the Marais, at the crossroads of rue de la Verrerie and rue des Archives. A prime location for experiencing Paris and immersing yourself in the hustle and bustle of the city, just a stone ‘ s throw from the Hôtel de Ville Bazaar, the Seine and the city’s iconic “troquets”. The link with Maisons Pariente is obvious, and this collection of prestigious addresses – including Crillon Le Brave, Le Coucou Méribel… – stands out for its ability to convey superb stories rooted in modernity, a story feeling that goes beyond storytelling.
Le Grand Mazarin was built in the heart of it all, this 5-star hotel caters to tourists and Parisians alike, alongside Boubalé, its eclectic restaurant celebrating Ashkenazi cuisine. Press on, it’s time to step outside the door and take a slight leap forward in time.
You’ll be greeted by a warm and attentive team dressed in deep purple. The tedious check-in process has been reinvented here, so you can lounge on one of the cozy sofas sipping a homemade iced tea while your dedicated hostess prepares your arrival details. The design, a true invitation to travel, is by Martin Brudnizki(founder of the MBDS studio and the And Objects label). In a few words, the interior designer has created a cozy cocoon in the front row of Parisian life, combining French tradition with an arty-dandy spirit. It delivers a contemporary interpretation of luxury in a setting that is both grandiose and flamboyant, in symbiosis with the city.
Rooms with a cinematic aesthetic
Le Grand Mazarin’s 50 rooms and 11 suites offer a twist on classicism, with no false notes. Take the elevator up to admire the details and drapes, and let yourself be guided by the decorations and curiosities you’ll find in the tastefully selected antiques on your way to your room.
It’s like moving through a movie set, with striking color messages. I immediately fell in love with Deluxe room 505, which was allocated to me for this stay. As soon as the door is ajar, a soft, nostalgic sixties melody fills the room, and I find myself humming “c’est le temps de l’amour, le temps des copains et de l’aventure…” (Françoise Hardy), there’s no doubt we’re in Paris! This cozy (and stylish!) room boasts generous volumes, a balcony with a view of the BHV, and a spacious, well-designed bathroom (underfloor heating, Japanese toilet).
But above all, we recognize Martin Brudnizki’s signature, a design to the extreme capable of creating and awakening the most personal of emotions. The total look decor is grandiose, with a touch of theatricality, but it also knows how to break codes to better appropriate and reinterpret them with modernity. To illustrate this identity: Le Grand Mazarin recently hosted an artistic project, the filming of the new video clip by Bon Entendeur, the French electro collective, “Fio Maravilha” in collaboration with Audrey Fleurot.
The old-fashioned becomes charming, with a taste for decorum and fantasy at the service of comfort for a smoother, more fluid everyday life. This quasi-cinematographic aesthetic is expressed through quirky motifs such as the shells strewn across the carpet, objets d’art modeled by the know-how of Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Companies), sweeping drapes, and color strokes highlighting contours and motifs. We plunge with delight into a world of candor, where the ornamental is delicate and in full bloom.
This reinvented charm of yesteryear is also a reference to inspirations, whether literary or artistic, and breathes a wind of freedom that gives the famous quote “breathing Paris preserves the soul” its letters of nobility.
Le Grand Mazarin lets you experience the Paris of today and yesteryear, in the intimacy of this setting, while remaining emotionally connected to the hustle and bustle of the city.
Boubalé: an emotional and sensory journey
Breakfast, like other meals, is served in the charming Boubalé restaurant, giving you the opportunity to discover the restaurant during the various highlights of your day.
You can select the options presented or formulate your requests à la carte. It’s great fun to go behind the scenes in the kitchen.
Michelin-starred chef Assaf Granit (Michelin star for his Parisian restaurant Shabour, restaurants in Tel Aviv, London and Berlin, appearance on Top Chef in 2023) offers a sensory journey through freedom and eclecticism at his Boubalé(Yiddish) restaurant. A tribute to Ashkenazi cuisine and a true declaration of love to Eastern European grandmothers. This deeply affective cuisine, the bearer of memories, is here sublimated through the prism of contemporary desirability. We fall under the spell of the open kitchen, the lively, animated, almost family atmosphere, settle in and let ourselves be lulled by the surrounding conversations. To make our choices, we ask the restaurant teams about these new-sounding and tempting dishes. The tableware contributes to this emotional dimension, with tureens and vintage plates, and delicately flowered porcelain. This environment activates reminiscences of which we were not even aware.
For lunch, we opted for starters to share: Herbs Salad (coriander, parsley, raisins, almonds, horseradish cream), the must-have Latkes (potatoes, cottage cheese),
chives), for the main course I chose the Ptitim Risotto (spinach & leeks, parmesan, black pepper), both gourmet and subtle. For dessert, I wanted to try the apple strudel, guaranteed crisp.
A rejuvenating break at Le Grand Mazarin
Well-being is an integral part of the Luxe Wellness Club DNA, and the Grand Mazarin offers spaces for a soothing break in the heart of Paris. Special mention for the in-ground mosaic pool. The Grand Mazarin also boasts a separate jacuzzi (the quintessence of this space) and a hammam. Spoiler alert with the photos below, but the brightness and volumes are impressive for an establishment in the Marais. Jacques Merle’s fresco reaffirms the site’s aesthetic identity.
Opposite the swimming pool you can access a gym that combines modernity and history with its distinctive stone wall and Technogym® equipment, including rowing machines, treadmills, Dynamo bikes for indoor cycling and yoga mats.
As far as treatments are concerned, the Grand Mazarin has a single (ultra-exclusive) treatment room: Anne Cali, offering a showcase for this emblematic massage technique (Gsmooth – APress – DIt has a triple action: blood and lymph circulation, fat removal and skin firming. At Le Grand Mazarin, you’ll find Anne Cali’s signature slimming treatments and other services to enhance your well-being.
Paris est une fête: whimsical cabaret and bar
For your Parisian nights out, the Grand Mazarin also boasts a sublime cocktail bar where you can find signature creations. And within its almost secret, modular cabaret, an eclectic, surprising and unexpected program. In particular, we’ve heard about the performances of Israeli transformist Uriel, who’s set to make Parisian nights shine.
Our feeling
An unequivocal “coup de coeur” for a new kind of hotel that combines old-fashioned charm with a precise understanding of contemporary lifestyles. Le Grand Mazarin invites you to fall in love with the real Paris, at once grandiose and flamboyant and yet so rooted in emotion. The expression of a new warm, quirky, arty-dandy luxury. The quality of service and facilities, including the superb swimming pool, made this interlude even sweeter.
Luxe Wellness Club
Book the Grand Mazarin
Rates : From around 500 euros per night.
