Gregory Copitet
As for addresses, number 1, Place Vendôme in Paris might be the most luxurious address in France. Just steps from the Seine, this is the cornerstone of the city’s most elegant 17th-century square, originally built to honor the Sun King, Louis XIV and now home to Chanel’s flagship stores , Dior and Chopard, among many others. others.
The latter has taken its holdings in the area to the next level, renovating the six floors above its store into a luxury 15-room hotel. “We spent six years and were involved in every aspect” of the competition, said Karl-Fritz Scheufele, a graduate of the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and grandson of Karl Scheufele, who bought Chopard in 1963. This new adventure.
When Karl-Fritz took me on a tour during an exclusive preview for Robb Report, he pointed out paintings by Chagall and Warhol chosen by his father, Chopard co-chairman Karl-Friedrich, and recalled his him, no matter the series of bureaucratic checkboxes. emphasizes the hotel’s Main Lobby, tastefully decorated and refined, featuring a working fireplace to create an appropriately intimate atmosphere. To reinforce this home-away-from-home philosophy, meals take place during “martini hours,” meaning anytime, anywhere on campus. (However, because there are many Michelin-starred restaurants within walking distance, the menu is wisely limited to simple classics, like the Niçoise salad and the club sandwich.)
The family’s instincts and timing proved perfect. Post-pаndemic, demand for residential-style micro-hotels is growing alongside interest in the mix between luxury brands and the hospitality industry, with Audemars Piguet, Christian Louboutin and Fragonard all recently opening new properties. nearby hotel. “Businesses can make more of an impression in a hotel than in an hour in a store,” says Jules Maury, director of travel agency Scott Dunn Private. “Our members don’t want to be surrounded by hundreds of people while on vacation, but they also don’t want to hide in private villas anymore. They want a discreet buzz.
Only Chopard’s valued guests and clients have access to 1 Place Vendôme, where the brand’s style is woven in exquisite detail, most spectacularly in the glass-roofed Jardin d’Hiver. Here, Caroline Scheufele, co-president and creative director, oversaw a stunning mosaic inspired by the brand’s Animal World jewelry collection, with thousands of cabochons used to depicts monkeys, butterflies and peacocks. At the same time, all 45 staff members have undergone multidisciplinary training, allowing everyone to make a long cup of coffee or book the perfect movie ticket without referring guests to specialist colleagues.
Suites are decorated in an individual style that blends classic and modern features. Saphir costs about $1,500 per night and has hand-embroidered dark blue wall coverings inspired by a 17th-century design; The Paraiba Suite features an eye-catching pink crystal parrot lamp by Tisserant Art & Style and ceramic bathroom faucets by renowned interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, who worked with the family on the project. The Chopard Apartment, which costs around $16,000 a night, has a high (and meticulously restored) gilded ceiling with abstract artwork by Kemal Seyhan. It also has a balcony with a direct view of Napoleon perched on the square’s majestic central column.
Didier Le Calvez, the hospitality veteran who opened the Four Seasons George V in 1999 and then converted another Parisian housewife, Le Bristol, has also worked with Scheufele and admires the approach. close to this family. He believes the hotel has a unique charm. “It has the hardware of a palace hotel and the software of a private club,” he says. “Where else in Paris can you find complete privacy and yet open the door and be in the middle of the city?”