Checking in to Hôtel de la Boétie

The 40-room Hôtel de la Boétie opened its doors in September 2023. It is part of the Touriste hotel group, who are seeking to revolutionise the hospitality industry by providing stylish, design-led and affordable hotels for the modern tourist. Touriste was founded by Adrien Gloaguen in 2008 and they now have a portfolio of seven hotels in Paris.

Image credit: Simon Brown / Hôtel de la Boétie

“For us, being a tourist or welcoming one is a philosophy, a vision of travel that is both light and refined, fun and caring, and focused on oneself as well as others.” Touriste Hotels.

Touriste hired London-based designer, Beata Heuman, was hired by Touriste to design the hotel. “It has been a dream for a long time to work with Beata Heuman,” said Adrien Gloaguen, Founder. “I have followed her work for many years, and I am drawn to her elegant style which we wanted to impart to our new hotel to add a little panache to the Champs Élysées area.”

Image credit: Simon Brown / Hotel de la Boetie

Heuman, who has a very strong social media presence, is known for designing whimsical interiors, rich in pattern, mid-century jewel tones and a hint of retro. Think Wes Anderson meets John Fowler with a dash of Alice in Wonderland. The designer also has her own range of products including lights, furniture, ironmongery and textiles. This is Heuman’s first hotel, and it certainly has her stamp – the property is almost exclusively furnished in her products, blurring the lines between showroom and  hotel.

For design aficionados, seeing Heuman’s high end products in a 3-star hotel may feel slightly confusing. One may expect a higher level of service, to align with the price point of her lights and furniture. For the everyday consumer, this might be overlooked, and they may just enjoy the experience of an Instagrammable hotel at an affordable price.

Image credit: Simon Brown / Hôtel de la Boétie

My experience at the Hôtel de la Boétie started with a late arrival after spending the day at Maison & Objet. The reception has a Wes Anderson feel, something right out of The Grand Budapest Hotel. I collected my keys and was directed to an elevator, which I just squeezed into with my luggage. Opening the doors to my room, the grass green carpet, light blue walls and soft pink bedding saturated my vision with colour. A little patio was a nice touch, with Parisian café furniture outside, where I enjoyed a view down Rue La Boétie.

The guestroom also featured Heuman’s signature design touches, like her carpet headboard and shaped wardrobes. A vintage phone and plastic, mid-century switch plates and a fully tiled bathroom are a nod to the 1950s.

I decided to sashay downstairs and discover the bar – it was quiet, in fact I was the only one there. The whole space had a quirkiness to it which is evoked through the eclectic décor and unique colour palette, and unlike other hotels where you feel quite watched over, I felt left to my own devices. I read a magazine, scrolled my phone, and sipped a glass of wine.

Image credit: Simon Brown / Hôtel de la Boétie

The next morning, I popped down for breakfast. It was served buffet style, with one member of staff making coffees and teas for an impatient line-up. The breakfast room was brightly dressed, again full of Heuman’s furniture. I enjoyed the artwork on display in the breakfast room and noticed a secondary room that could be booked for meetings.

Image credit: Simon Brown / Hôtel de la Boétie

My final thoughts? The hotel is so closely associated with Beata Heuman, that it risks pigeonholing it’s marketing to just fans of her style. But perhaps this is the Touriste approach. Its other hotels leverage the name of trendy designers like Dorothée Meilichzon, Chloé Nègre and Necchi Architecture to provide guests who can afford a 3 to 4-star hotel a hint of what these designers can offer. The brand does seem to be appealing to a market segment looking for affordable, stylish hotels.

For the everyday traveller, Touriste may appeal over an Airbnb, and for the business traveller, the more stylish design and the fact that they have meeting and conference rooms, will provide a good substitute for traditional business economy hotels. And if Touriste Hotels suit you, and you’re a regular traveller to Paris, then you could ‘hotel hop’ between them, experiencing a range of design experiences at an affordable price.

> Since you’re here, why not read Part One in this Parisian trilogy? 

Main image credit: Simon Brown / Hôtel de la Boétie