Singularly Spectactular: Les Bains Paris in the Spotlight
A trendy club and legendary haunt for the revelers and glitterati of the 1980s and 1990s, Les Bains is enjoying a new lease of life as a highly sought-after luxury hotel
There is something quintessentially Parisian about Les Bains. Back in the day, the famous doorwoman, known simply as Marie-Line, decided whom to let in. Once inside, on any given night you could bump into Prince, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Karl Lagerfeld, Catherine Deneuve or any other illustrious name. Today, it is porters and valets who greet the more low-key, but equally discerning clientele of this boutique hotel, a MICHELIN Guide 'Plus' property.
The Rooms
The interior design of the 39 rooms and suites, by Parisian architect Tristan Auer, weaves together different eras by deploying premium materials, bespoke furnishings, works of art, and nods to the hotel’s past. Classic rooms (23m²) and suites (the largest a spectacular 80m² penthouse with private steam room and south-facing terrace) all feature damask satin sheets embroidered with 'Les Bains', a Marshall music station, and a selection of books in various languages. The bathrooms have overhead rain showers, heated flooring, Malin+Goetz toiletries, and complimentary Les Bains Guerbois eau de cologne. Hotel patrons have access to the swimming pool, steam room, and nightclub too.
Opened in 1885 on the very site where the hotel now stands, Les Bains Guerbois was the most famous private bathhouse in the capital and frequented by Parisian high society. Ensconced in the heart of today’s hotel, the spa is named after its predecessor and comes complete with a relaxation area, a lounge where you can discover the house’s range of fragrances, plus two treatment rooms tucked away in boudoirs flanking a large half-moon window. The spa experience is rounded off by a stint in the steam room and the pool with a counter-current swim channel, massage jets and bubble jets, and waterfall.
Every evening at Roxo, cocktails are served in the bar's verdant surroundings. A team of professional mixologists have a whole range of classic cocktails up their sleeve and can also introduce you to their own incredible creations. The décor of salvaged furniture, leather banquette seating, wooden tables, and chequered tiles sets the tone; the two patios flooded with natural light are perfect for relaxing with a drink in hand.
The Nightclub
There is still a nightclub in the basement of the hotel, where you can dance the night away to the latest music. The décor is a vibrant tribute to its previous iteration as the legendary swimming pool, featuring Philippe Starck’s black-and-white checkerboard tiling and a lava stone bar, and completed by a stage ready to host memorable shows, concerts, and events.
Although Rome is not as historically linked to pasta production as Campania, it was in the Ancient city of Urbe that the most famous versions of the Italian dish first appeared.