Rates: from €290 per night
Added extras: the panoramic view over Paris
Services: a spa with a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi
From the top of the immense nine floor Hôtel Renaissance République, you can watch skaters and look straight onto the place de la République statue, which is increasingly becoming known as the heart of the city. It’s on the terrace that you can raise a toast or breakfast as the sun rises and the location is ideal – just a few strides from Canal Saint-Martin and Grands Boulevards.
Inside, there’s everything a traveller would need and more: 121 cosy rooms, a bar and a design restaurant, plus a superb terrace with a 254m living wall, meeting rooms and drop-off parking. The building (which was once offices) is huge, with nine floors and three car park levels amounting to 3500 m2. In the basement, the fitness room (open 24 hours) joins to a wellness area (which unfortunately closes at 8pm) provides a great base for relaxation: a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi and a Sothys treatment centre.
Designed by architect Eric Haour, the five-star Mariott Group hotel was opened in April 2016, with interior design by Didier Gomez, who has designed many haute couture boutiques, fine restaurants and luxurious hotels like the Sofitel Rabat and the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Inspired by fifties and sixties art, and the post-war works of Le Corbusier, Gomez has designed workshop-style rooms with mixed materials, wood floor and wall mirrors. They’re full of light, with large windows and glass walled bathrooms.
All rooms are comfortable and spacious and those on the sixth floor offer a breathtaking view over the slate roofs of Paris. It is well worth it to aim for the higher floors when you book. You won't regret it.