The new Molitor Hotel in Paris
It used to be a swimming pool. We remember when, years ago, John Galliano used the space for one of his menswear fashion show. It's now a hotel.
Call it a hotel but the new Hotel Molitor in Paris is not your typical hotel. It does not sit on the same platform with other clichéd city hotels. It doesn’t have to really, that’s because it is a grand hotel like no other in the small of Paris. It, in fact, feels more of a resort hotel (situated right in the Caribbean) and not as a hotel in Paris. It has an attractive aura that can easily entice you to stretch your coin and spend your entire day lounging around its large, glorious swimming pool.
But the glamorous, newest addition to the Paris hotel landscape that is the new Hotel Molitor has come a long way to being what it is now. Its history has had numerous twists. Once regarded as the most famous swimming pool in Paris, it fell into decline and closed its doors to the public in the late 1980s. It faced demolition but escaped it in the 20 years it remained closed. It was built in 1929 during which its outdoor and indoor decks were regularly lined with a bevy of beauties.
The designer of the refurbished French hotel, Jean-Philippe Nuel, gave Hotel Molitor a new lease of life by setting out to build 124-rooms based on a close reading of the of the original design. That was in 2007. He and his team have now transformed the 85-year old central swimming pool and the attached building into a glamorous hotel rich with sparkling “different moments in history”. He mixed up “traces of history” in the building’s design to recreate its diverse phases.
The outcome is stunningly gorgeous. Nuel creatively reproduced something different from what had been in place since the inception of the building in the 1920s. Original features of the building remained like lamps, mosaics, and leaded-glass windows in the main restaurant. Its former distinctive yellow paint (on the building’s walls) was restored, as well as original glass display cases by Art Deco were reinstalled. Many features were retained as historic artefacts.
On the building’s indoor bar doorway, for instance, stands a glass-enclosed ticket booth. Even though it is not in use, the new Hotel Molitor mandated it remain as a historic artefact. The team of designers did not disappoint either with the pared back and suave style of the 124-rooms that ring the majestic pool. The interior décor of the rooms scream leisure with the bedroom’s bed each angled towards the pool. The ambiance is relaxing thanks to the cream and brown colours.
The great design of the new Hotel Molitor also complements first-class services offered. If you are a resident at this hotel, expect spa treatments or sessions with a private sports coach, scores of friendly pool attendants, and bright and breezy staff ready to serve you. Indeed, you should also expect to get value for your money because the new Hotel Molitor in Paris is like no other.
