The canary yellow bistro tables that line the entry of La Fantaisie Paris boutique hotel are a sunny harbinger of what’s inside—a beautiful, garden-themed fever dream, where color is queen, and whimsy reigns. Not yet a year old, La Fantaisie has become the obsession of every active Instagrammer who visits the City of Lights. Step inside its front door, and it’s easy to see why.
The entire hotel is a feast for the senses, illustrative of Swedish interior designer Martin Brudnizki’s famed sense of exuberance, revelry, and playfulness. (La Fantaisie marks his first entry into the Parisian hotel scene.) Drawing on nature as his chief inspiration, Brudnizki, whose interiors harness the context, history, and character of the building, street, and locality in which they are located, chose a color palette of soft greens, warm yellows, and corals, evoking the natural world. Floral wallpaper covers halls and ceilings, and upholstery is rich in texture. The effect mesmerizing.
Communal spaces seem nearly untouchable in their vibrant and sumptuous splendor, but they are meant to be lived-in, as are the 73 guest rooms and suites of varying size and layout. Brudnizki envisioned these guest rooms as singular retreats from the bustling urban energy of the hotel’s Faubourg-Montmartre neighborhood in the heart of the 9th arrondissement, an area that’s slowly becoming the epicenter of the Parisian creative community. Sumptuous bedding, vividly tiled bathrooms, furnished balconies, and delightful touches, such as corked-bottom slippers, teas, coffee, and quality stationary, create a pied-à-terre vibe.
Situated between two of the city’s most dynamic areas, Pigalle and Grands Boulevards, La Fantaisie is on charming Rue Cadet, named for the 16th century master gardener brothers Jacques and Jean Cadet who once supplied the street with fruit and vegetables. The hotel pays homage via Brudnizki’s greenery-laden décor, the tangible center of which is the hotel’s verdant garden courtyard, a “secret” space, unique to Parisian hospitality options. Nearly jungle-like, the courtyard is one of Paris’ most charming gathering spots. As is the hotel’s rooftop Bar Sur Le Toit where guests can lounge on interior comfy couches or al fresco at bistro tables while overlooking the city, and while selecting their own tunes from the free-to-use jukebox.
Also destination worthy is the hotel’s main dining room and restaurant. Opened under the direction of famed chef Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s three Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn, the restaurant (currently named Golden Poppy in honor of Crenn’s chosen California home) will soon transition to new leadership, offering both guests and Parisian locals a new menu that follows in Crenn’s distinctive footsteps. Crenn helped to set La Fantaisie’s stage as a culinary destination; her creative (and sustainable) vision leaves no room for compromise, and the restaurant’s next iteration will no doubt continue to surprise and delight.
While Bar Sur la Toit holds court above, the La Fantaisie Spa commands the hotel’s subterranean space, devoted to total relaxation and wellbeing. The spa adopts a holistic approach inspired by ancient healing rituals and the curative power of underground springs and features a cold plunge, a hot bath, a mineral water pool, and a jetted hot tub. In addition, guests will find traditional and infrared saunas and a steam room. The spa partners with French brand Holidermie, the company of which advocates a unique, naturally vegan approach and a pledge to effective, simple, and radiant beauty
Simply put, La Fantaisie is utterly charming. Not only in its whimsical décor, but also in its hospitality. The hotel is a five star establishment, and the holder of one Michelin Key (recognition for an outstanding hotel), yet it possesses none of the stuffiness often associated with the highest level of Parisian hospitality. Guests are made to feel wholly at-home. Hosts and front desk clerks are warm and friendly, and will happily point visitors in the direction of the region’s best bars, boulangeries, restaurants, and boutiques. But the truth is, when at La Fantaisie, the “best” is right at your fingertips.