Located between the tranquil “villages” of Belleville, Ménilmontant and Père Lachaise on one side, and the trendy quarters of the Bastille, the Marais, Oberkampf and Canal Saint-Martin on the other, the 3-star Gardette Park Hotel is in a peaceful setting in the proximity of the liveliest Parisian spots. It is a classy boutique hotel with a contemporary designer touch, fully renovated just recently and decorated by a renown French architect-designer.

Step inside, and a soft and elegant atmosphere awaits. The design of the rooms is simple, yet elegant and seductive. A big colorful motif is in focus, varying in color and pattern from room to room, accompanied by modern designer furniture and hi-tech facilities. Plenty of natural light is coming in, or close the curtains and let the subdued lighting transform the room into a romantic retreat. The rooms are different in size, ranging from family suite to triple, double and single rooms, but they all provide the same comfort and are equipped with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi service and flat-screen TV. There is also room service, newspapers, dry-cleaning, and the front desk helps with reservation of tickets and restaurants.

Gardette Park Hotel is unique as it is in the center of all the action of Paris, yet it provides a peaceful haven for the visitor. It’s a perfect base to discover the sights of the city, and it’s a hotel with class.

Gardette Park Hotel ***
1, rue du Général Blaise
75011 Paris

Website: http://www.hotelgardettepark.com/

A new pretty face on the trendy and sometimes extravagant Paris designer hotel scene, Hotel Original has recently opened its doors. Minutes from the charming historic Place des Vosges quarter in the Marais and the lively, eclectic and busy Bastille area, the hotel is in a great location in the heart of the Right Bank. It is close to the tourist sights and attractions but, at the same time, also to authentic Paris and its bohemian life style.

Step inside, and you enter a world of poetry and fantasy. Created by renown French designer Stella Cadente, the rooms reflect the atmosphere of a mermaid paradise, magic forest or Alice in Wonderland. The look, in any case, is stunning and magical. Combined with comfort, luxurious facilities and an excellent service, Hotel Original is the perfect place for those who want something unique, classy, as well as the highest standards.

Hotel Original is a beautiful artistic creation, it stands in one of the most fashionable Parisian quarters and, regardless of all that, it is very reasonably priced. It is a magical experience that one will never forget.

Hotel Original

8, boulevard Beaumarchais – 75011 Paris

Website: www.hoteloriginalparis.com

Near the trendy and youthful Latin Quarter, bohemian Rue Mouffetard, the tranquil Seine river banks and attractions such as the Pantheon and the Sorbonne, the 2-star Grand Hotel Jeanne D’Arc is ideally located to be a base for visitors to Paris. The hotel’s main appeal, apart from location, is the cheap room prices it offers. It’s a simple hotel, nevertheless it has its own character and charm.

The rooms are classic in style, with warm colors and plenty of natural light coming through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors. The décor is minimalist, a picture, some art deco furniture pieces. The hotel is very well equipped for a 2-star establishment, with a flat screen TV and direct telephone in the rooms, roomservice, lift and free internet in the lobby. There is nothing fancy about the place, but all seems to be in harmony and the over all atmosphere is pleasant, homely and charming.

Grand Hotel Jeanne D’Arc is ideal for those who need a simple and comfortable room at a reasonable price and would rather spend the money on other things. And with such a good location with cafés, bars, music venues and shops all around, there is plenty of temptation to do so.

Grand Hotel Jeanne D’Arc **

43, boulevard St Marcel 75013 Paris

http://grandhoteljeannedarcparis.com/

The chic Parisienne – high glamour, minimalist and cool. Barbara Bui’s label became hugely successful since its debut in 1983, and despite the hefty price her collection is immensely popular with trendy urban sophisticates.

Click link to see the Barbara Bui Summer 2012 Fashion Show (video)

http://corporate.barbarabui.com/news/barbara-bui-summer-2012-fashion-show

Barbara Bui was born in Paris to a French mother and a Vietnamese father. She opened her first studio boutique on rue de Turbigo in 1983. She presented her first collection in 1987 and the label Barbara Bui was born. In 1999 the flagship store on avenue Montaigne was opened, followed by an international luxury showcase on rue du Faubourg St Honoré. Today Barbara Bui operates a global network of boutiques from Moscow to New York.

Official website: http://www.barbarabui.com/

If you want to keep up with the latest trends – fashion for women and men, hair and beauty, accessories, colours and more – Fashionising.com, a website dedicated entirely to the subject, offers a good insight. In its latest edition it brings you backstage photos of the Versace and Christian Dior spring Haute Couture 2012 Paris events.Everyone might talk about the catwalk, but it’s backstage where you get a close look and all the details.

Backstage at Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2012

Photos from backstage at the Christian Dior haute couture spring 2012 at Paris fashion week.

Backstage at Versace Haute Couture Spring 2012

Photos from backstage at the Versace haute couture spring 2012 at Paris fashion week.

Website: http://www.fashionising.com/

Who was the favorite perfumer of Napoleon Bonaparte? Who created the futuristic vision of Masaki Matsushima? The fragrances of Maison de Cognac and the famous jewelers of Rue de la Paix, spiced with heritage flavors. Some English, Italian and French perfume houses have these unique hand-made bottles, some of them very rare – still, the smell is the most authentic. To honor the year the Frapin family was ennobled by Louis XIV, a new floral and spicy essence was designed by French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, called “1697″. This, along with a collection of some twenty brands of rare, old or very contemporary perfumes, is available at perfumery Jovoy, a stone’s throw from the Place Vendome in the 1st district of Paris. Owner Francois Henin had a unique vision and created a world where featured brands float in glass cubes suspended in the air. Unlike in traditional perfumeries where only the covers are displayed you can discover the secrets of each fragrance.

Frapin perfumes & Co. tell the story of an illustrious family and their knowledge of many centuries. It is a journey through time and space, evoking and awakening a distant feeling. Discover the world of the evanescent, intoxicating and thrilling Frapin perfumes, produced from raw materials combined with the noblest ancestral know-how.

Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Jovoy Paris

29 rue Danielle Casanova 75001 PARIS
Téléphone : +33(0)140200619

Website: http://www.jovoyparis.com/

What’s the best way to start the New Year? Of course, with some amazing shopping!! The sales are on again with some amazing bargains and discounts for five weeks, the dates are now published by the Directorate General of Consumption.

The Paris winter sales in  2012 are from January 11 to February 14.

Note that there are some exceptions, as listed below:

• Meurthe-et-Moselle (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Meuse (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Moselle (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Vosges (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Landes (January 4 to February 7, 2012)
• Pyrenees-Atlantiques (January 4 to February 7, 2012)
• Guadeloupe (January 7 to February 10, 2012)
• Saint-Barthélemy (May 5 to June 8, 2012)
• Saint-Martin (May 5 to June 8, 2012)
• Guyana (January 4 to February 7, 2012)
• Reunion (September 1 to October 5, 2012)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon (from January 18 to February 21, 2012)

Apart from the exempted departments, the summer sales in 2012 will start on June 27 and last till July 31.

Official website: http://www.economie.gouv.fr/soldes-dhiver-debutent-11-janvier-2012

In the lively up-and-coming Republique-Oberkampf district a new Paris boutique hotels going to open its doors soon – Hotel Angely. We had the opportunity to take a sneak preview and we were presented the plans and design. Judging from what we can see it will be a very unique boutique hotel on the Paris designer hotels scene. We are looking forward to the opening so we can stay a night and experience it first hand.

The grand opening is scheduled for the 15th of February, and the hotel now takes reservations. If you want to be amongst the first, you can book on the hotels official website:

http://angelyhotelparis.com/

Stay tuned: we will visit Hotel Angely and bring you up-to-date info and news as soon as possible!

Located on the Left Bank, near the Luxembourg Garden, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse, the 3-star Hotel Le Chaplain Rive Gauche is a classy Paris designer hotel based on the philosophy of smile. Apart from the smile you are welcomed with, there is an internationally recogniseable smile in each room, painted by Fabienne Santrot De Courrière, using the unique ‘grisaille technique’.

The hotel was fully renovated in 2008 by Michel Jouannet, an architect and interior designer, creating a distinctively modern and chic atmosphere. Contemporary artwork is displayed throughout the hotel, and a furnished inner patio with an olive tree provides a tranquil green oasis. Hotel Chaplain is truly a real gem, a classy and unique retreat in the center of Paris.

Will you choose Brigitte, Marilyn or the Mona Lisa?

“The grisaille technique is painting that incorporates shadow and light often through the use of muted shades. The core of De Courrière’s grisaille work arises through orders placed by interior decorators and individuals, but the artist also works with London and California dealers which sell the grisailles on canvass.”

Hotel Le Chaplain Paris Rive Gauche ***
11 bis, rue Jules Chaplain
75006 Paris

Official website: http://www.chaplainparishotel.com

We hope that you have a fantastic festive season and the coming 2012 year will bring you success, good health and happiness!

Winter is just as beautiful in Paris as any other season, and the festivities last well beyond the New Years Eve celebrations – actually, one form or another, in Paris the festivities never end!