Go to the new Peter Marino-designed Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris for the chic interiors and excellent views; stay for the Precious Energy massage ritual.
Dior Opens the Hotel Spa to End All Hotel Spas
The September rentrée in Paris is the most frenetic time of year, teeming as it is with openings and major exhibitions, and this year is no exception. With more than 72% of the French population at least partially vaccinated, lines are already forming all over town to see what's new with Paris Design Week and the Maison & Objet design fair as excitement mounts for Paris Fashion Week on the horizon.
On a recent sunny afternoon outside La Samaritaine's new concept store, Loulou, dozens waited patiently behind a velvet rope to present the doorman with the mandatory pass sanitaire. But it was on the Seine side of the complex that my attention was focused. A doorman flashed QR codes for a steady trickle of impeccably turned-out guests passing through the imposing glass doors of Le Cheval Blanc Paris, hoping to gain access to the new hotel’s Peter Marino-designed interiors—and, for the lucky few, a glimpse of its Dior Spa, the only one of its kind in the world.
To say that this hotel is the most highly anticipated opening the City of Light has seen in decades is no exaggeration: the landmark Art Deco building closed in 2005 to embark on a long, ambitious, and occasionally contentious transformation—not just of the structure itself, but of the surrounding neighborhood. Earlier this summer, La Samaritaine re-emerged as a 21st-century temple to French culture, gastronomy, and luxury shopping, fronted by the deeply luxurious Cheval Blanc.
Beloved by habitués of Courchevel, Saint-Barth, and the Maldives, the luxury hotel chain’s latest outpost feels like home for a clientele accustomed to ultra-refined living. That philosophy extends to the hotel's well-being complex and spa, located at the foot of a graceful, curved staircase just off the lobby, comprising a state-of-the-art fitness area that's open 24/7, complete with Pelotons and a private coaching room, and a 30-meter swimming pool—the largest in any hotel in Paris—tiled with an undulating mosaic by the artist Michael Mayer.
The Cheval Blanc pool
Photo: Courtesy of Matthieu Salvaing for Parfums Christian DiorThis story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Tina Isaac-Goizé
