The credentials:
Dating from 1824, La Maison Favart is tucked away down a quiet street in one of Paris’ most prestigious postcodes, the 2e arrondissement. Next to the Opera-Comique, which dominates the Place Boieldieu, the hotel’s bedrooms are like exclusive boxes overlooking the ornate 18th century opera company.
La Maison Favart owes its name to the celebrated Parisian playwright, Charles-Simon Favart, who in the mid-18th century became Director of the Opera-Comique and fell in love with and married Marie-Justine Duronceray, a beautiful young actress and singer known, rather wonderfully, as Mlle Chantilly.
A moment’s walk from the Opera Garnier, this 39-room four star hotel takes a decidedly un-French (or should I say Parisian) approach to service, priding itself on its warm, intimate atmosphere and relaxed and personalised approach.
Dine:
La Maison Favart is restaurant-less, however this does no disservice to the hotel, as there are few better locations in the world to go out and eat. Packed as the area is with such stunningly good restaurants, it would be a shame for guests not to venture out and find them.
The hotel does do breakfast, and it does it very well. It’s the usual buffet Continental fare—pastries, cold meats and cheese, juices, coffee, tea—but generously stocked and of better quality than most four star hotels.
There’s also an honesty bar open from 3pm until midnight, as well as tea served in the afternoon, with fresh cakes and pastries all very temptingly laid out in the lobby.
Sleep:
Our plush Deluxe Bedroom boasted all the modern amenities: a gourmet minibar (which as a rule I never touch), a Nespresso machine, iPhone speaker dock and large flat screen television with array of international channels.
Regardless of the natty extras, the rooms have a refined yet homely feel, decorated in an elegant 18th century style with sumptuous linens, ornate wallpapers and large Queen-size beds. The marble bathrooms and fluffy dressing gowns are a treat too.
The interiors of each room vary slightly, depending on which aspect of the hotel’s namesake and his wife they are paying homage to. For example, La Costumiere uses as its inspiration the fact that Justine was the first actress to wear authentic costumes of the characters that she was portraying on stage.
There are 31 bedrooms, a mixture of Classic and Deluxe, as well as four suites and La Petite Maison—a private space spread across two floors that includes two double rooms, a sofa bed and private dining room.
Who goes there?
During our stay, the hotel consisted of an even spread between 30-somethings treating themselves to a spoiling weekend in the City of Light and families from around the world looking for a homely but central base from which they could easily sightsee. Given that the 2e arrondissement is well-stocked with international banks and corporations, I imagine the hotel is also a favourite for intermittent business trips.
Out & about:
La Maison Favart is ideally situated for first-timers in Paris, as you can tick off many of the capital’s heavy hitters in a day. The Insta-genic Palais Garnier is a five minute walk away, shoppers’ paradise Galleries Lafayette is even closer, while the Louvre will cost you only a leisurely stroll along Haussmann’s picture-perfect Avenue de l’Opera. For those in need of some respite along the way, the little streets either side hide some of the best Japanese joints in the city and are well worth seeking out.
The worst thing:
I honestly can’t think of one.
The best thing:
Discovering La Maison Favart’s basement pool and spa was undoubtedly the highlight of my stay. Amazingly, we were able to enjoy this toute-seule, which was a huge plus as the space is quite small and definitely would have felt a bit too intimate otherwise.
Disappointingly, I’d forgotten to pack my gym kit (I can’t think how?!) but for the better equipped amongst us, the basement also includes a fitness room with running, cycling and rowing machines.
